Hamas handed over the bodies of Israeli infant Kfir Bibas and his four-year-old brother Ariel, along with their mother Shiri Bibas and hostage Oded Lifschitz, on Thursday under the Gaza ceasefire agreement. Red Cross vehicles carried the four black coffins, each bearing a photo of the hostages.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described it as "a very difficult day" for Israel. The bodies will undergo DNA testing for identification.
The Bibas family was abducted at Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. Hamas initially claimed the boys and their mother were killed in an Israeli airstrike, but their deaths were never confirmed, keeping hope alive in their community.
The remains will be taken to Israel's forensic institute for final identification before a formal announcement and funeral. This handover marks the first return of bodies under the current ceasefire agreement, which has held despite both sides accusing each other of breaches.
Negotiations for a second phase of the agreement, involving the return of 60 more hostages and the potential end of the war, are underway. However, disagreements over Gaza’s future governance and U.S. proposals for Palestinian resettlement complicate the situation.
Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s reluctance to support military action, Israel has not ruled out launching a limited strike on Iran's nuclear facilities in the coming months, according to Israeli and other sources familiar with the matter.
Hamas has proposed a deal to exchange all hostages for a set number of Palestinians jailed by Israel, rejecting an interim truce and calling for broader negotiations to end the war in Gaza.
U.S. President Donald Trump blocked a proposed Israeli military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities earlier this year, opting instead to pursue direct negotiations aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.
A high-level meeting between Israeli and Turkish delegations was held to discuss diplomatic and security issues. The information was shared on the official “X” social media account of the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
Turkish and Israeli officials held first technical talks aimed at preventing unwanted incidents in Syria, where militaries of the two regional powers are active, Turkish ministry sources and an Israeli political source said on Thursday.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday his plan to reclassify approximately 50,000 federal workers under a new category, "Schedule Policy/Career," which would make it easier to fire civil servants who do not align with his administration's policy agenda.
The U.S. Supreme Court issued an order early Saturday blocking the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members from Texas under the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime law from 1798.
Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s reluctance to support military action, Israel has not ruled out launching a limited strike on Iran's nuclear facilities in the coming months, according to Israeli and other sources familiar with the matter.
Mount Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes, erupted once more early on Saturday, with ash and lava spewing from the southeastern crater. The eruption, which began late Friday night, continued through midday, local sources reported.
At least 17 people were killed when suspected cattle herders launched attacks on communities in central Nigeria's Benue State on Thursday, police confirmed. The assault is part of a worrying resurgence in violent clashes between farmers and herders, which have long plagued the region.
The Russian ruble has emerged as the top-performing currency globally in 2025, registering an impressive 38% appreciation against the US dollar since the beginning of the year, according to a report by Bloomberg.
A small plane crashed near Kopake, New York, on April 13, killing at 6 people. The Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft, carrying six people, went down under unclear circumstances. This marks the second aviation accident in New York in a week, raising safety concerns.
Several regions in Ukraine faced heightened alert on Palm Sunday, as reports of explosions and missile threats drew public attention and official responses.
The Holy Fire ceremony stands as one of Christianity's most enduring and mysterious rituals, drawing thousands of pilgrims to Jerusalem each year.
Severe rainfall on April 17 led to flooding and landslides in the Piedmont region, prompting a large-scale emergency response from over 400 firefighters.
Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held a phone conversation on Saturday to discuss ongoing efforts to end the Israeli war on Gaza, which has been ongoing since October 7, 2023.
Elon Musk announced on Saturday that he plans to visit India later this year, following a discussion with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about potential collaboration in technology and innovation.
Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said of Oman is scheduled to visit Moscow on Monday, just days after the commencement of a new round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks mediated by Muscat.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance met with senior Vatican officials on Saturday for talks that the Vatican described as "cordial," following ongoing criticisms of the Trump administration’s policies, particularly regarding immigration.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday his plan to reclassify approximately 50,000 federal workers under a new category, "Schedule Policy/Career," which would make it easier to fire civil servants who do not align with his administration's policy agenda.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday his plan to reclassify approximately 50,000 federal workers under a new category, "Schedule Policy/Career," which would make it easier to fire civil servants who do not align with his administration's policy agenda.
The U.S. Supreme Court issued an order early Saturday blocking the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members from Texas under the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime law from 1798.
Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s reluctance to support military action, Israel has not ruled out launching a limited strike on Iran's nuclear facilities in the coming months, according to Israeli and other sources familiar with the matter.
Mount Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes, erupted once more early on Saturday, with ash and lava spewing from the southeastern crater. The eruption, which began late Friday night, continued through midday, local sources reported.
At least 17 people were killed when suspected cattle herders launched attacks on communities in central Nigeria's Benue State on Thursday, police confirmed. The assault is part of a worrying resurgence in violent clashes between farmers and herders, which have long plagued the region.
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