Gaza Strip
In a policy shift, U.S. and Hamas say they’re in direct talks on hostages
A Hamas official tells NPR that the United States has held direct talks with the Palestinian militant group over the release of several American-Israeli dual citizens taken hostage during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel.
Israel’s culture minister calls a Palestinian-Israeli film’s Oscar a ‘sad moment’
The Oscar documentary win by the movie No Other Land is garnering very different reactions in Israel and the West Bank.
Trump wants Palestinians out of Gaza. Here are Egypt’s plans to keep them there
Arab leaders will meet in Cairo to reject Palestinian displacement from Gaza. NPR looks at Egypt's reconstruction plans for Gaza that counter President Trump's ideas of expulsion.
The next Israeli hostages Hamas will release include U.S. and Russian nationals
Hamas says it will release three hostages on Saturday, resolving a dispute with Israel that threatened to derail the ceasefire. In exchange, Israel will free dozens of Palestinians from jail.
Jordan’s King Abdullah heads to the White House as Trump pushes a Gaza takeover plan
It is expected to be one of the toughest meetings of the king's quarter-century reign.
Hamas says it’s delaying the next Israeli hostage release
A Hamas spokesman said it's postponing the release of the next group of Israeli hostages, accusing Israel of preventing Palestinians from returning home in Gaza.
A brief history of Gaza’s tortured role in the Middle East conflict
Most Gaza residents are the descendants of Palestinian refugees driven to the enclave in a 1948 war. They harbor a deep fear of being uprooted again, and President Trump's remarks struck a raw nerve.
33 hostages are expected to be released by Hamas as part of a ceasefire with Israel
There are men, women and children on the list of 33 to be released from Gaza. Two are U.S. citizens. Israel is set to free hundreds of prisoners in exchange for them.
These are the U.S. citizens held hostage in Gaza
Seven of the nearly 100 hostages held in Gaza are U.S. citizens, several of whom are confirmed dead.
Israel’s security cabinet approves Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal
Israel's security cabinet has voted to approve a ceasefire deal to end the fighting in Gaza. Full cabinet approval is expected later today.