Washington DC, after 15 months of intense conflict, Israel and Hamas have reached a groundbreaking ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, potentially paving the way to end the long-standing war. The historic deal, facilitated by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, is set to go into effect on Sunday and introduces a multi-phase plan focused on hostages, troop withdrawal, and humanitarian aid.
Tenafly NJ, during a vigil in Tenafly on Wednesday night ,Edan Alexander’s family appealed for the release of their son, who, along with over 200 other Israeli and American Jews, is being held hostage by Hamas. Edan, a 19-year-old born in Tel Aviv and raised in New Jersey, was serving with the Israel Defense Forces near the Gaza Strip when Hamas launched an unprecedented assault on Oct. 7. The Israeli-American Council of New Jersey organized an event where several hundred people gathered to support the Tenafly High School graduate and his family. At the vigil, Alexander’s parents and siblings spoke about his resilience and sense of humor. While the family has been informed that he is alive and being held in Gaza, they have no additional information. Edan’s sister, Mika Alexander, expressed the profound impact of his absence, stating, “It just feels like my best friend was taken away from me.” To date, Hamas has released four hostages, and the Israeli army successfully rescued one hostage in a special operation. On Thursday, the White House announced that Israel has agreed to pause military operations in parts of northern Gaza for four-hour periods each day, allowing Palestinians to flee south and receive aid.
Gaza City , as thousands of rockets fired by terrorists in Gaza fell on Israeli population centers, at least one fell short , hitting a hospital in Gaza City. As many as 1 in 4 such rockets routinely fall within the Gaza strip, and last night’s projectile, fired by the Islamic Jihad terror group, struck the hospital and killed hundreds of civilians. US officials said yesterday a Tuesday explosion at a Gaza hospital was likely caused by a rocket launched from the nearby area. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, has claimed an Israeli airstrike hit the building that housed hundreds of civilians at the time. The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 471 people had died.
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