President Trump arrived in Israel today to celebrate the return of the last 20 living Israeli hostages who were finally freed in a ceasefire deal brokered by his administration between Israel and Hamas. The U.S. president delivered a rare speech before Israel's parliament, known as the Knesset.
After two long years, Israelis today celebrated the freedom of all 20 living hostages from Hamas captivity. While the hostages came home, President Donald Trump landed in Israel to address the Knesset and celebrate the end of the war and the release of the hostages.
Despite the security situation and growing antisemitism and global anti-Israel sentiments, Christians from around the world came to Jerusalem this week to celebrate the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles and stand with the Jewish state.
President Trump's Gaza ceasefire deal is going forward with a promise of a hostage release soon, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, many of whom are murderers, and a visit by the president to the region next week.
After two years of war, Israel and Hamas agreed to end the fighting in Gaza and free the hostages. The historic agreement sets the stage for a post-war Gaza and Middle East. Now, the hostage families wait for their loved ones after more than 700 days in captivity.
Omri Miran lived on a kibbutz near the Gaza border with his wife and two very young daughters. On October 7th, 2023, their world stopped when Hamas took Omri hostage right in front of his two little girls. He has been held captive in Gaza for 732 days.
Tuesday was a day of mixed emotions for Israelis – the joyful beginning of the biblical Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) coupled with the second anniversary of the Hamas October 7th massacre, hostage taking, and war in Gaza. The day came against the backdrop of a new round of talks to free the hostages and end the war.
Two years after the October 7th, 2023, attacks by Hamas, Israel still lives with the pain and the questions about what comes next. As the Sukkot holiday begins, many are reflecting on how that day changed the nation, and why Christians say their support matters more now than ever.
With waning support and weakened public perception, the bond between the United States and Israel is being tested like never before. That faltering image has Israel turning its focus to the state and local level with a new strategy to build support.
On October 7, 2023, the people of Israel endured their darkest day since the Holocaust. In a coordinated attack, Hamas terrorists crossed into southern Israel, murdering 1,200 civilians, abducting more than 250 hostages, and committing atrocities too horrific to fully describe.