Latest Hostage situations News
Vigils, protests around the world commemorate the anniversary of Hamas attack on Israel
NEW YORK (AP) — Commemorations and protests unfolded across the world on Monday to mark the anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, an assault that sparked a war that has devastated the Hamas-ruled Gaza strip, fueled bloodshed in other Mideast lands and stirred protests and divisions...
Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli crowds rally across the world on the eve of Oct. 7 anniversary
PARIS (AP) — Crowds were participating in pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protests and memorial events across Europe, North Africa and Asia on Sunday on the eve of the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel. Sunday’s events followed massive rallies that took place...
At Israel's cafes and bars, life may seem normal. But the war has cast a pall nationwide
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — At a busy Tel Aviv entertainment district, diners spill into outdoor seating and clink glasses as music fills the air. There’s laughter, there’s life. But all around the patrons, staring down from lampposts and shop windows, are pictures of hostages held in Gaza, stark...
A year later, Israeli survivors reflect on the lingering toll of Oct. 7
Lilach Almog walks past the remains of a police station seized by Hamas militants and buildings pockmarked by bullets in her southern Israeli town multiple times a day. “Every corner has become a memorial,” she said. “Even if you want to forget for a bit, you can’t. You look...
Javier Bardem on Gaza: ‘We cannot remain indifferent’ in call for hostage release and cease-fire
Javier Bardem was no longer comfortable being silent on Gaza. The Spanish actor spoke out about the Israeli-Hamas conflict upon accepting an award at the San Sebastian Film Festival last week. In his nuanced remarks, Bardem condemned the Hamas attacks as well as the “massive...
A former hostage fought for her own life in Gaza. A year on, she fights for her husband's freedom
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — As a hostage in Gaza, Aviva Siegel found herself begging for food and water. Since her release, she has found herself begging for her husband to be set free from his own ongoing captivity. Siegel has come to embody the disaster that befell Israel on Oct. 7,...
As Israel's fight with Hezbollah heats up, people of Gaza fear being forgotten
MUWASI, Gaza Strip (AP) — As the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah grabs global attention, Palestinians in Gaza wonder: What will become of their plight after nearly a year of devastating war? They are petrified that international concern has been diverted, and that...
Blinken says surprise escalations threaten to derail talks for a cease-fire in Gaza
CAIRO (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed frustration Wednesday at surprise escalations that threaten to derail efforts to broker a cease-fire deal in Gaza, noting that the United States is assessing a deadly attack that caused pagers used by Hezbollah to explode in Lebanon. ...
Blinken is heading back to the Middle East, this time without fanfare or a visit to Israel
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads to Egypt on Tuesday for his 10th trip to the Middle East since the war in Gaza began nearly a year ago, this one aimed partly at refining a proposal to present to Israel and Hamas for a cease-fire deal and release of hostages. ...
A missile fired by Yemen's rebels lands in Israel and triggers sirens at international airport
JERUSALEM (AP) — A missile fired by Yemen's Iran-backed rebels landed in an open area in central Israel early Sunday and triggered air raid sirens at its international airport, in the latest reverberation from the nearly yearlong war in Gaza. Israel hinted that it would respond militarily. ...
