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‘Show Me One Palestinian Who Tried to Save a Jew on Oct. 7’: Hostage Families Highlight Culpability of Gazan Population
A person stands in front of a montage of images of hostages seized by Hamas during a demonstration in Tel Aviv demanding their release. Photo: Reuters/Amir Cohen
Families of hostages seized by the Hamas terror group on Oct. 7 experienced a mix of relief and anxiety at a rally marking “50 days of hell” on Saturday night as they grappled with the bittersweet reality of the release of some hostages while many others remained in captivity, amid multiple delays on the part of Hamas.
Speakers at the rally, which drew some 100,000 people to the renamed Hostage Square outside the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, called to “bring home all of them now.”
As of Sunday night, a total of 40 Israeli hostages were released with Hamas indicating that it was interested in extending the ceasefire. Terrorists led by Hamas abducted over 240 people during their Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel.
Thirteen hostages, mostly from Kibbutz Be’eri, were released on Saturday some six hours after the 4 pm deadline after Hamas accused Israel of short-changing on the promised delivery of fuel and humanitarian aid — a claim that was denied by the International Committee of the Red Cross — and releasing the wrong Palestinian security prisoners in exchange.
Be’eri resident Nir Shani, whose son, Amit, turned 16 in captivity, was not surprised by the delay.
“It’s not unexpected, sadly. It would’ve been weird if it would have gone smoothly as planned. It was obviously going to happen,” Shani told The Algemeiner.
Shani further said he wasn’t surprised by the Oct. 7 massacre perpetrated by Hamas.
“They did exactly what they said they would do if they got the chance. We’ve seen it before,” he said, pointing to terror attacks against Jews even before the founding of the state.
Shani’s views stand in sharp contrast with those of other members of his kibbutz, who maintain that a peaceful resolution to the conflict — likely in the form of two states — is still possible.
He also refused to extend clemency to the Palestinian population in Gaza as being innocent.
“I don’t make a distinction between them and Hamas. We’ve all heard about the righteous among the nations in the Holocaust. Tell me of one Palestinian who tried to save one Jew after Oct. 7,” he said.
Shani cited Daniel Lifshitz, the grandson of 85-year-old released hostage Yocheved Lifshitz, as saying that his grandmother was “spat on by hundreds of Gazans on the back of a motorbike.”
Adi Shachar — aunt to 12-year-old Noam Avigdori, who was released on Saturday night along with her mother, Sharon — said that the wait was “nail-biting.”
“It was very difficult,” she said. “But when we saw them on the [Red Cross] ambulance, we screamed and jumped for joy.”
The family is still waiting for the return of another family member, Tal Shoham.
“We’ve finished the first chapter and now we start the second,” Shachar said on Sunday morning, referring both to the long road to recovery for her family members as well as the ongoing efforts to free the remainder of the hostages in captivity in Hamas-ruled Gaza.
Images of Ohad Munder, who turned 9 in captivity, blowing bubbles and playing with a Rubik’s cube shortly after his release on Friday, flooded Israeli media. He was released along with his mother, Keren, 54, and grandmother Ruth, 78. His grandfather, 78-year-old Avraham Munder, is still in Gaza. Avraham’s niece, Merav Mor Raviv, cited Keren as saying that the food supply in captivity was up and down and on some days there was nothing more than a bit of rice.
She told Israel’s Channel 12 that there “were also many Hebrew speakers [in Gaza], who spoke to them.”
The people who were guarding the hostages were always changing, she said, as was their location.
They were “both underground and not underground,” she said.
Despite Israel’s claim that the ceasefire agreement included the release of mothers whose children were set free, Hila Rotem, a 13-year-old, was captured by Hamas terrorists along with her mother Raya Rotem, aged 54, but only Hila was released on Saturday, leaving her mother still held hostage in Gaza.
“My mother was by my side throughout the entire period of captivity, but two days before my release, Hamas separated us from each other,” Rotem said. “My mother was in good condition, and we were together with [Irish-Israeli] Emily [Hand] when Hamas informed us of a ceasefire and our impending release.”
Back in Hostage Square, attendees of Saturday’s rally gathered around the stage to hear performers sing heartfelt renditions of their hits, including singer Ehud Banai, who hailed the return of the hostages as “the biggest mitzvah right now.”
Anna Kaniel, a dancer who performed with her troupe, AfroCubana, for survivors of the massacre now residing in hotels in the Dead Sea, underscored the “hopelessness” she felt.
“I can’t change the politics. I can’t do anything, really. The only thing I can do is be here to give support and to give energy to the families. That’s why I’m here,” she told The Algemeiner.
Kaniel pointed out a poster of Gali Tarschansky, a 13-year-old girl still in captivity, whose brother, Lior, with whom Tarschansky was said to be inseparable, was murdered as the two tried to make their escape from their safe room window in Kibbutz Be’eri.
“Just think of their father who was with them that day. One child dead and the other still in captivity. It’s just too much,” Kaniel said.
The post ‘Show Me One Palestinian Who Tried to Save a Jew on Oct. 7’: Hostage Families Highlight Culpability of Gazan Population first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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US Reportedly Shares Intelligence with New Syrian Leadership to Counter ISIS Threats
Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, waits to welcome the senior Ukrainian delegation led by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, after the ousting of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, Dec. 30, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
i24 News – The United States has begun sharing classified intelligence with Syria’s new leadership, led by Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist group formerly designated as a terrorist organization, reports the Washington Post.
This unexpected collaboration comes in the wake of HTS overthrowing the Assad regime last month and reflects heightened US concerns about a potential resurgence of the Islamic State (ISIS).
According to sources, US intelligence recently helped thwart a planned ISIS attack on a prominent Shiite shrine near Damascus.
Despite this cooperation, US officials stress that the intelligence-sharing arrangement does not signify full support for HTS, which has a controversial history of extremism.
HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, previously known by his militant alias Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has made efforts to project a more moderate image, pledging to protect Syria’s religious minorities and stabilize the country.
However, skepticism remains about HTS’s ability to govern effectively and sustain efforts against ISIS.
The Biden administration, before leaving office, maintained HTS’s terrorist designation while easing sanctions on Syria to facilitate humanitarian aid. As the new US administration under President Donald Trump takes shape, questions loom about the future of American involvement in Syria and the ongoing military presence aimed at preventing an ISIS comeback.
The post US Reportedly Shares Intelligence with New Syrian Leadership to Counter ISIS Threats first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Hostages Missing from Hamas’ Release List
A birthday cake for Kfir Bibas, who is a hostage in Hamas captivity. Thursday, January 18, 2024. (Photo: Debbie Weiss)
i24 News – The second phase of hostage releases between Israel and Hamas has sparked deep frustration and grief among the families of those still held captive.
Two hostages—Arbel Yahud and Agam Berger—were notably excluded from the list of those to be freed on Saturday, despite earlier agreements prioritizing the return of civilians.
Arbel Yahud, 29, and Agam Berger, 20, both captives since the October 7 attack, were not included in the list of four hostages expected to be released.
Yahud, from Kibbutz Nir Oz, was taken along with her partner, Ariel Cunio, whose family was freed in November. Yahud’s brother, Dolev, was later found dead in June after he was killed while trying to aid the wounded. Agam Berger, from Holon, was captured while stationed at Nahal Oz. Her family identified her in a video released by Hamas, showing her in pajamas being taken away in a vehicle after she called her father to alert him of the gunfire.
The omission of these two hostages has led to heightened concerns and calls for action from Israeli authorities, who are now exerting pressure on Hamas and mediators to honor the terms of the release agreement. Israeli officials reaffirmed their commitment to continue with the broader agreement, but warned that the failure to meet the agreed terms could harm future releases.
Adding to the grief, the Bibas family expressed their devastation when they learned that Shiri Bibas and her children, who were abducted from their Nir Oz home on October 7, were also absent from the second release list. In a heartfelt message shared on Saturday, the Bibas family shared their anguish: “Even though we were prepared for it, we were hoping to see Shiri and the children on the list that was supposed to be the civilian list.” The family voiced concerns over their loved one’s safety and questioned why, despite grave fears for their lives, their relatives were not included among the civilians due to be returned.
The Bibas family’s message emphasized their belief that the public must continue to demand answers, adding, “Thank you, dear supporters, for not giving up, for continuing to pray, to hope and to demand answers.
The post Hostages Missing from Hamas’ Release List first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Naama Levi, and Daniela Gilboa Return to Israel After 477 Days of Captivity
A combination picture shows Israeli hostages Karina Ariev, Naama Levy, Liri Albag, and Daniela Gilboa, soldiers who were seized from their army base in southern Israel during the deadly Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, in these undated handout pictures. Photo: Courtesy of Bring Them Home Now/Handout via REUTERS
i24 News – After 477 harrowing days in captivity, four young Israeli women—Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Naama Levi, and Daniela Gilboa—have finally returned home.
The release took place Saturday morning in Gaza’s Palestine Square, under a carefully staged scene orchestrated by Hamas.
The four women, who served in a military observation unit in Nahal Oz, were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Before their release, they were made to wear uniforms provided by Hamas and were paraded on a platform in front of a crowd of activists. Forced to smile and wave, the women endured the ordeal under the watchful eyes of Hamas fighters.
Once the formalities concluded, the women walked to waiting ICRC vehicles, accompanied by representatives of the organization. Upon reaching Israeli forces, IDF medical teams immediately conducted examinations. At the meeting point, the first female officers who greeted them informed the women that their families were watching live. Overcome with emotion, the former hostages smiled at the cameras, sending heartfelt gestures to their loved ones.
Footage later released by the IDF captured a poignant moment: the four women removing the uniforms given to them by Hamas and embracing Israeli officers. These emotional scenes underscored the end of a long and grueling chapter in their lives.
The women were transported to the Reim reception center, where their families eagerly awaited them. After 477 days of separation, the reunions were deeply moving, marking a moment of relief and joy.
However, the release was not without complications. A fifth military observer, Agam Berger, remains in captivity, and Hamas failed to uphold its agreement to release civilian hostage Arbel Yahud, who was originally included in the liberation group. The breach of terms has drawn widespread condemnation, intensifying efforts to secure the release of those who remain captive.
This momentous event brings a mix of celebration and determination, as Israel continues to work tirelessly for the freedom of all hostages still held in Gaza.
The post Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Naama Levi, and Daniela Gilboa Return to Israel After 477 Days of Captivity first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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