Latest Hostage situations News

A year later, Israeli survivors reflect on the lingering toll of Oct. 7

Oct. 04, 2024 00:40 AM EDT

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

Oct. 02, 2024 13:39 PM EDT

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

Oct. 01, 2024 03:24 AM EDT

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

Sep. 24, 2024 08:07 AM EDT

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

Sep. 18, 2024 12:17 PM EDT

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

Sep. 16, 2024 19:32 PM EDT

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

Sep. 15, 2024 22:43 PM EDT

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. ...

Israeli military says there is a "high probability" that three hostages killed months ago died from Israeli fire

Sep. 15, 2024 09:47 AM EDT
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli military says there is a "high probability" that three hostages killed months ago died from Israeli fire.

An American activist killed by Israeli fire is buried in Turkey as Israel strikes Gaza

Sep. 14, 2024 15:42 PM EDT

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) — A Turkish-American activist who was killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank was laid to rest on Saturday in her hometown in Turkey with thousands lining the streets and anti-Israeli feelings in the country rising from a conflict that threatens to spread across the region....

Nigerian army rescues 13 hostages from extremist group

Sep. 14, 2024 15:25 PM EDT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian troops have rescued 13 hostages who were kidnapped by an extremist group in the northwestern state of Kaduna, the country's army said on Saturday. The army said in a statement that “the troops successfully overwhelmed the terrorists, forcing them...