The world on Monday celebrated the release of the remaining hostages taken by Hamas in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, as the first phase in the U.S.-brokered ceasefire plan held in the shaken region.
Twenty Israeli hostages in Gaza were transferred to the International Committee of the Red Cross and returned home, according to the Israeli military. Almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners were being released by Israel as part of the ceasefire deal.
Cheers, cries and Hebrew songs rang out in Tel Aviv's Hostage Square, where thousands of Israelis had gathered to celebrate the homecoming.
President Donald Trump traveled to the Middle East to greet the hostages as part of a whirlwind visit to Israel and Egypt while back home the U.S. government entered its 13th day in a shutdown. The ceasefire the United States helped broker continues to hold between Israel and Hamas.
Special Interest Glance
We apologize to all our viewers for the technical problems that interrupted our reporting of the important news stories of the past few days.
Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York says he will not run for reelection next year, according to an interview published Monday night by The New York Times.
President Donald Trump told NBC on Thursday he struck a deal with NATO for the US to send weapons to Ukraine through the alliance, and that NATO will pay for those weapons “a hundred percent.”





























