Hostage

Bakersfield Chase Bank locked down as police respond to hostage situation

A man barricaded himself inside a Chase Bank in Bakersfield with hostages, making bomb threats. Police, SWAT, and federal teams are on scene working for a safe resolution.

Signage is displayed outside of a Chase Bank branch in Redondo Beach, California, on March 13, 2023.
 Ori Danino.

Brother of murdered Hamas hostage criticizes PM advisor Yonatan Urich

A fire burns in a residential apartment after Israeli shelling, according to the Ministry of Health, in Gaza City May 15, 2026.

IDF confirms death of Hamas military chief following Gaza strike

Former hostage Rom Braslavski attends a press conference in the Knesset, calling for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the events of October 7, May 11, 2026.

'You killed the people of Israel!' Former hostage calls on all Knesset members to resign


Former hostage performs song he sang in Hamas tunnels on first birthday since captivity

Held two weeks ago, the concert celebrated Ohel’s first birthday outside captivity, coming four months after his release. Tickets sold out within hours.

FORMER HOSTAGE Alon Ohel performs with Israeli artists during a concert in Tel Aviv, on February 9, 2026.

‘When I didn’t have a voice, the film gave me one’: David, Ariel Cunio attend screening in Berlin

An updated version of Tom Shoval’s A Letter to David was screened at the 76th Berlinale, after an “incomplete version” of the film had its world premiere last year.

David (L) and Ariel Cunio.

Former hostage Elkana Bohbot plans speaking tour, book as part of recovery from captivity

Bohbot said that what helps him most during his recovery period is focusing on his book, '738 Days in Hamas Captivity.' "I'm trying to push it," he said.

FREED HOSTAGE Elkana Bohbot arrives to his home in Mevasseret, outside of Jerusalem, October 19, 2025.

Uganda to build statue in memory of Yoni Netanyahu at site of daring hostage rescue - report

Yoni Netanyahu was the only Israeli soldier killed in the raid, which freed Jewish hostages held at Entebbe after the hijacking of an Air France flight in 1976.

Last known picture of Yoni Netanyahu

How the haredi draft issue puts the status of Israeli women into question

Tal Hochman, Executive Director of the Israel Women's Network, and Rabbi Natan Slifkin, explore the ongoing struggles faced by women in Israeli society, and the haredi draft issue.

Are women's rights in Israel under attack?

From national PTSD to national post-traumatic growth: Israel must turn pain to power – opinion

Israel has the chance to turn national trauma into national growth and emerge more resilient than ever.

Former hostage Alon Ohel performs with Israeli artists during a concert in Tel Aviv, on February 9, 2026.

Smotrich, Netanyahu quarrel over law banning release of senior terrorists during exchange deals

The absence of such a law places "every Israeli citizen, at home and abroad, under a real threat of abduction," argued Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Finance Minister and Head of the Religious Zionist Party Bezalel Smotrich leads a faction meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, February 16, 2026.

Released hostage Arbel Yehoud: I was sexually assaulted 'almost every single day' in Gaza

"I tried to end my life three times," Yehoud said. "I felt like I couldn’t go on. There were moments when I thought it was the only way out."

Arbel Yehoud and released hostage Ariel Cunio reunite on October 13, 2025.

From hostages to heritage: Defending Diaspora Judaism's modern world - opinion

Young Jews face a new kind of captivity: cognitive warfare eroding identity, purpose, and resilience across Israel and the Diaspora.

Participants hold up posters of hostages as thousands of people attend the March for Israel on the National Mall in November 2023 in Washington, DC. Following October 7, American Jews mobilized more than $1 billion for Israel’s relief and recovery.

WATCH: 'We have two diamonds here': IDF releases video from hostage rescue operation

The video was composed of body camera footage from Shayetet 13 soldiers who participated in the operation. In it, the two rescued hostages spoke with the soldiers in a helicopter.

 LUIS HAR (far left) and Fernando Marman (center), two hostages rescued in a special forces operation in Rafah, Gaza, in February 2024, reunite with loved ones later in the day at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer.