Hostages

FBI committed to bringing home US hostages held in other nations: Director

The FBI will work to zero out the population of Americans detained or held hostage in foreign countries, Director Kash Patel said Thursday at a State Department ceremony honouring the hostage community and their families. My singular promise to you in this community is that I will do everything as the director of the FBI to marshal the resources necessary to make sure that no other American family feels that pain, he said during the flag-raising event. Patel spoke as the Trump administration is working to bring home Americans from multiple countries, including Russia and Venezuela. The government is also trying to secure the release of remaining American hostages held by Hamas, with Adam Boehler, President Donald Trump's nominee to be special envoy for hostage affairs, leading direct talks with the militant group. We still don't have everybody back," Patel said. Whatever lawful authorities we have at the FBI, we are going to give 24/7, 365 days to make sure that we zero out this ...

Gunman takes hostages at Pennsylvania hospital, one officer killed

A man armed with a pistol and carrying zip ties entered a Pennsylvania hospital's intensive care unit on Saturday and took staff members hostage before he was killed by police in a shootout that also left an officer dead, authorities said. Three staffers at UPMC Memorial Hospital, including a doctor, a nurse and a custodian, and two other officers were shot and wounded in the attack, York County District Attorney Tim Barker said. A fourth staff member was injured during a fall, Barker said. Gunfire erupted after officers from several different agencies went to engage the shooter, who Barker identified as Diogenes Archangel-Ortiz, 49. He said Archangel-Ortiz was holding at gunpoint a female staff member hostage who had her hands tied with zip ties when police opened fire. "This is a huge loss to our community," Barker said at a press conference following the shooting. "It is absolutely clear, and beyond any and all doubt, that the officers were justified in taking their action using

Trump vows to back Israel's decision as Hamas fails to release all hostages

In a statement shared on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump noted that Hamas has released three hostages, including a US citizen and added that they appear to be in good shape

Israel announces identity of three Hamas hostages set to be released today

The hostages, who are expected to be released on Saturday, were all kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023

Pressure mounts on extending Gaza ceasefire as details on hostages emerge

New details and growing shock over emaciated hostages renewed pressure Sunday on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to extend a fragile Gaza ceasefire beyond the first phase ending in three weeks. Talks on the second phase, meant to see more hostages released and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, were due to start Feb. 3. But Israel and Hamas appear to have made little progress, even as Israeli forces withdrew Sunday from a Gaza corridor in the latest commitment to the truce. Netanyahu sent a delegation to Qatar, a key mediator, but it included low-level officials, sparking speculation that it won't lead to a breakthrough. Netanyahu, who returned after a U.S. visit to meet with President Donald Trump, is expected to convene security Cabinet ministers on Tuesday. Trump himself suggested he was losing patience with the deal after seeing the emaciated hostages released this week. I watched the hostages come back today and they looked like Holocaust survivors. They were i

Hamas must release all hostages now: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio

The President was clear - Hamas MUST release ALL hostages NOW! Rubio was quoted as saying in a White House post on X

Hamas to release 3 Israelis, 5 Thais in upcoming hostage swap: Official

An Israeli official said Wednesday that Hamas will release three Israelis, including two women and an 80-year-old man, and five Thai nationals in the next hostage release, slated for Thursday. The official named the Israel women as Arbel Yehoud, 29, Agam Berger, 19, and the man as Gadi Mozes, 80. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record, said the hostages' families had approved publication of their names. The official did not name the Thai nationals set to be freed. The release is part of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that has paused the war in Gaza in exchange for freedom for dozens of hostages held in the Palestinian territory and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Word of the next round of releases comes as hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza are streaming toward the north of the war-ravaged territory to return to what is left of their homes, after being told to evacuate the area earlier o

Families of hostages appeal to Trump to pressure Netanyahu to end war

Families of hostages who remain in captivity in Gaza are appealing to US President Donald Trump to pressure Israel's prime minister into ending the war and bringing their loved-ones home. Under the deal, about one third of the hostages are to be released during the six-week first phase. The release of the remaining hostages, along with an end to the war, are to be negotiated during a second phase. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signalled readiness to return to the war after the first phase is complete, and hard-liners in his coalition have threatened to bring down the government if he does not resume the war. Hostage families gathered Saturday and appealed to Trump to make sure that Netanyahu ends the war. The radicals in the coalition are threatening to bring down the government and demand the renewal of the war, said Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is a hostage and not scheduled to be released during the first phase. She urged Trump to demand that Netanyahu implement the

Hamas publishes names of 4 hostages to be released from Gaza on Saturday

The Hamas militant group has published the names of four hostages it says it will release on Saturday as part of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. There was no immediate confirmation of the names from Israel. Hamas released the names on Friday. The hostages are to be freed Saturday in exchange for the release of dozens of Palestinians imprisoned or detained by Israel. Relatives of hostages still being held by militants in Gaza called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Friday to ensure all remaining captives are freed, while also appealing to US President Donald Trump to continue pressing for their release. As a fragile six-week ceasefire between Israel and Hamas entered its sixth day, Israelis waited anxiously for the names of the next four hostages who will be released from among the more than 90 still held in Gaza. In the Palestinian enclave, civilians in the central and southern part of the Gaza Strip hoping to return to the remnants of their home in the battered north

Three Israeli women freed after 471 days captivity by Hamas: Who are they?

Gaza ceasefire: Israel released 90 Palestinians after Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, and Emily Damari, crossed back into the country

Gaza ceasefire: Hamas frees hostages, Israel releases prisoners on day 1

Israeli military said Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari had been reunited with their mothers and released a video showing them in apparent good health

Joe Biden outlines three-phase ceasefire deal between Israel, Hamas

Biden also highlighted the diplomatic effort involved, noting the pressure from Israel and US support, as well as a coalition of 20 countries that stood against attacks from the Houthis

Israeli lawmakers divided on ceasefire deal, terms for hostage release

Discussions focus on the release of Palestinian prisoners, with Israel seeking to have those serving life sentences deported to countries such as Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt

Hamas likely to release 33 hostages in phase 1 of ceasefire-hostage deal

According to CNN, Israel believes most of the 33 hostages are alive, although some deceased hostages may also be included in the initial release

Trump warns Hamas, says all hell will break out if hostages not released

US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday warned that all hell will break out if Hamas did not release hostages before January 20, when he will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. All hell will break out. If those hostages aren't back, I don't want to hurt your negotiation, if they're not back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East, Trump told reporters at a news conference in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. He was responding to a question on the status of negotiations with Hamas on the release of American hostages by them. His Special Envoy to the Middle East Steven Charles Witkoff, who has just returned from the region, told reporters that they are on the verge of it. I believe we've been on the verge of it. I don't want to discuss sort of what's delayed it, no point to be negative in any way. But I think it's the president, his stature, what he's said he expects, the red lines he's put out there, that's driving this negotiation, Witkof

Hurdles remain as Israel, Hamas once again inch toward ceasefire deal

Israel and Hamas once again appear to be inching toward a ceasefire that could wind down the 15-month war in Gaza and bring home dozens of Israelis held hostage there. Both Israel and Hamas are under pressure from outgoing US President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump to reach a deal before the January 20 inauguration. But the sides have come close before, only to have talks collapse over various disagreements. The latest round of negotiations has bogged down over the names of hostages to be released in a first phase, according to Israeli, Egyptian and Hamas officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing ongoing negotiations. Israel wants assurances that the hostages are alive, while Hamas says that after months of heavy fighting, it isn't sure who is alive or dead. Other hurdles remain. The first phase, expected to last for six to eight weeks, would also include a halt in fighting, a release of Palestinian prisoners and a surge in aid to the

Israel denies reports of Hamas sending list of hostages to be released

The statement of Israel's PM office came after it was reported by a UK-based news agency that Hamas had approved a list of 34 hostages that it would release in exchange for a ceasefire agreement

Israel likely very close to finalising the hostage deal with Hamas

Trump has threatened those holding hostages in the Middle East with 'unprecedented American firepower' if they are not released by the time he enters office on January 20

US hostage envoy in Beirut to ask details on missing journalist Austin Tice

The US government's top hostage negotiator is in Beirut in hopes of collecting information on the whereabouts of Austin Tice, an American journalist missing in Syria for 12 years, the State Department said on Monday. Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, is talking to officials in the region following the overthrow of Bashar Assad's government to find out where Tice is and get him home as soon as possible, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters on Monday. Lebanon has been involved for years in mediating talks about Tice. President Joe Biden said on Sunday that his administration believed Tice was alive and was committed to bringing him home, though he also acknowledged that we have no direct evidence of his status. Tice, who has had his work published by The Washington Post, McClatchy newspapers and others, disappeared at a checkpoint in a contested area west of Damascus as the Syrian civil war intensified. A video released weeks aft

Israel PM Netanyahu offers $5 mn reward to Gazans for each hostage returned

It's the latest twist in Netanyahu's frustrated attempts to deliver on pledges to the families of hostages to bring home those seized when Hamas militants attacked Israel more than a year ago