Despite Netanyahu's initial resistance, the Trump administration's intervention appears to have forced both Israel and Hamas's hand. While not invited to the critical summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Netanyahu claimed the deal as a victory, citing military and diplomatic pressure as decisive factors

At seven in the morning, the square was packed to capacity. For one day, the place that became a symbol of the struggle to bring back the hostages turned into a beacon of hope: 'The war may be over, but there's still a battle over the country'

Anat Angrest, the mother of IDF soldier Matan Angrest, who was released on Monday from Hamas captivity, said her son described severe abuse, while Ariel Cunio and Rom Braslavski reportedly spent their captivity alone. Alon Ohel's parents said he was moved to Gaza City to serve as a human shield

The bulk of detainees, who were arrested in Gaza during the war because they were classified as 'illegal combatants' by the IDF, were transported back to the Strip with the assistance of the Red Cross. Most of the prisoners will be deported after their release

An EBU statement said that following 'recent developments in the Middle East,' the Executive Board agreed that there should be an in-person discussion among members 'on the issue of participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026'

Even as Israelis celebrate the hostages' return, the possibility that Israel could renew the war lingers. But U.S. President Donald Trump remains adamant that Israel won't restart the war, even if Netanyahu's government says otherwise

With living hostages freed, attention turns to the painful mission of retrieving the remains of those still held in Gaza. These are the stories of the 28 deceased Israeli hostages

Passing through the IDF's Beit Furik checkpoint is the only way to enter or exit its namesake town and nearby Beit Dajan, but simple journeys to work and school require waiting up to six hours

The exclusion of Israel's Supreme Court president, as well as the attorney general, was denounced by the head of the Israeli Bar Association as a continued malicious campaign against the judiciary. 'We will have to fight for democracy in Israel,' he said

Aharon Mizrahi was injured by the missile while at home in the Tel Aviv suburb of Ramat Gan with his wife, Etti Cohen Angel, who was also killed

After the euphoria of the arrival of the twenty living hostages in Israel, the families of slain hostages expressed outrage at the extension of their anxiety and grief over their inability to lay their loved ones to rest

Israel's Channel 12 News reported that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner assured Hamas leaders that Trump wouldn't allow Israel to resume the war after the hostages' release, as long as the group upholds its commitments

Critics say Congregation Beth Elohim's invitation to New York's leading mayoral candidate legitimizes anti-Israel politics during a sensitive time for both Israel and the Jewish calendar

In a letter to staff, Huang celebrated the return of Avinatan Or, praised his mother's perseverance, and acknowledged the heavy toll the war has taken on Nvidia's Israeli team, including the loss of Mellanox founder Eyal Waldman's daughter on October 7

In a Knesset session celebrating his cease-fire plan, Trump hailed the return of hostages from Gaza, praised Netanyahu as 'not the easiest guy,' and shocked the chamber by asking Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon him, while left-wing lawmakers were ejected for displaying 'Recognize Palestine' signs

One of the prisoners slated for release is Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya, director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, who was detained by the IDF in December 2024, and whose arrest led to harsh international criticism of Israel

Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt were honored for showing how technological innovation drives long-term economic growth and how societies must embrace change to sustain it

The meeting, focused on the Israel-Hamas agreement, will bring together more than 20 heads of state, including leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, in a show of support for Trump's postwar Gaza initiative

The last 20 living hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 were released from Gaza on Monday under the cease-fire deal, bringing to an end 738 days of captivity that began with the deadliest attack in Israel's history. 28 hostages remain in Gaza. Their bodies are expected to be returned soon

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu accompanied U.S. President Trump to the Knesset, where he is addressing the end of Israel's war in Gaza and the return of the 20 living hostages

Netanyahu's crusade to rewrite history will be on display in the Knesset on Monday during a festive session with Trump. The prime minister will claim he heroically withstood pressures from home and abroad, but U.S. pressure left him no choice but to concede

A senior source in the Gaza Strip's Interior Ministry told Al Jazeera that several Hamas operatives were killed in a surprise attack by the Doghmush clan militia

Trump said that the hostages held in Gaza might be released 'even a little early. All 20 of them.' On Sunday, it was reported that the hostages' families were told their loved ones are expected to be released at 8 A.M. Israel time on Monday

While it is doubtful whether Hamas could regain control of the Gaza Strip, it still may be capable of blocking any alternative from taking root. Despite that, the war had to end – Israeli society is exhausted and divided

The document recovered by the Israeli army called for the rapid dissemination of images intended to 'trigger a frenzy' during the October 7 attack, including photographs showing 'point-blank shootings, people being stabbed, tank explosions, prisoners kneeling with their hands on their heads'

'There's a time to weep and a time to laugh, and we have to do both right now,' said Rachel Goldberg-Polin of this moment, as the country waits to receive the hostages, both living and dead

From children packing suitcases to signs reading 'How good it is that you've come home,' families brace for hostages' return Monday. Hamas will release the living from three Gaza locations under Red Cross supervision, while Israel monitors safety and pre-release conditions

Heads of state are expected to discuss establishing a U.S.-Qatari-Egyptian-Turkish task force to secure the cease-fire in Gaza at the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, as well as the committee of Palestinian technocrats set to be established in the Gaza Strip under the agreement

The prisoner, a Gaza resident, was serving a life sentence and was scheduled for release in 2036. The boy's mother told Haaretz that she had not been informed about her son's killer's impending release, despite Israel's announcement that bereaved families would be notified about plans to release those convicted of killing their loved ones

When U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner spoke of peace and regional reconciliation at Hostage Square, they presented an alternative vision to the fear and catastrophic messianism offered by Netanyahu and his coalition – unlike any Israeli opposition leader

Israeli authorities have reinforced the Abu Kabir Institute's staff and facilities ahead of the expected transfers, adding refrigeration units and extra lab shifts. 'Every identification is not just a technical process – it's an act of dignity and closure for the families,' said a senior institute official

Israeli settlers set up caravans a few hundred meters from the West Bank Palestinian village of Umm al-Khair in August and began building infrastructure. The initial stages of prepping the ground for the outpost were supervised by Yinon Levy, a settler who shot and killed a Palestinian activist and resident of the village in July

Netanyahu also cited another planned diplomatic meeting, which he described as 'urgent and highly important,' with details to be shared separately with the prosecution and judges. He further asked to shorten his testimony on the first day of the Knesset's winter session, but was denied the request

Since the public hanging of one of Israel's most revered spies in Damascus in 1965, the Mossad has tried to locate and retrieve Eli Cohen's remains for burial in Israel. As Syria and Israel grow close to a de-escalation deal, the body may finally be returned, according to Saudi reports

A Martin Buber revival is sweeping across Israel just as the war is hopefully coming to end. Plus, the Tel Aviv Cinematheque offers a humanizing look at Iranian film, and the Haifa International Film Festival hits its homestretch

Since Friday's cease-fire took effect and the IDF pulled back, Palestinians displaced from the northern and central Gaza Strip have started returning en masse to their homes, as Hamas militants also return to the main streets to 'restore public order and prevent the spread of anarchy'

Yael Adar, mother of Tamir Adar, is finding it hard to celebrate the cease-fire and upcoming hostage release. Shaken by the uncertainty regarding the whereabouts of her son's body, she says her family will only be able to deal with the loss once his body is found

The former British prime minister is due to take a leading role in the Trump-led postwar administration of Gaza, and the Palestinian Authority is examining whether reconciliation with Hamas could advance or deter their involvement in running the Strip