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Tag: release

Hamas to free another American in Saturday hostage release

The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas has released the names of the three hostages set to be freed Saturday, including American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, following days of concern that a ceasefire deal with Israel could collapse.

Russian-Israeli Alexander Troufanov and Argentine-Israeli Yair Horn, who along with Dekel-Chen were abducted by Hamas from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7, 2023, will also be released on Saturday, which will mark 497 days in captivity.

Dekel-Chen is the second American to be released by Hamas since President Donald Trump re-entered office, following the release of Keith Siegel on Feb. 1.

FORMER HAMAS HOSTAGE’S MOM SAYS DAUGHTER WAS FORCED TO FAKE HER DEATH FOR A PROPAGANDA VIDEO

Hamas has said it will release Alexander (Sasha) Troponov, 29, Sagi Dekel-Chen, 36, Yair Horn, 46, on Saturday Feb. 15, 2025 in the next hostage release.

International concern over the stability of the ceasefire reached new heights after Hamas threatened not to release any more hostages – in direct violation of the agreement – after it claimed that Israel had violated the treaty by not facilitating the transport of humanitarian aid and targeting Palestinians in airstrikes.

Trump then said on Monday that Israel should cancel the ceasefire agreement if Hamas did not hand over all remaining hostages, not just the three slated to be released on Feb. 15 under the ceasefire agreement.

Concern mounted when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday also called on Hamas to release hostages come Saturday, but did not specify whether he meant all hostages or the three previously agreed to.

“The Israeli formal position is that we have an agreement that should be fulfilled,” retired IDF Major General Yaakov Amidror confirmed on Thursday during a discussion hosted by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA).

EGYPT REPORTEDLY RELEASES DETAILS ON PLAN TO REBUILD GAZA; THERE’S NO MENTION OF ‘COOPERATION’ WITH THE US

U.S. President Donald Trump, accompanied by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L), speaks during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on February 4, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

“We don’t [want to] shake the boat by adding [Trump’s] demand,” he said. “The question is, will Hamas fulfill the agreement from its side and release the three hostages?

“I think Hamas is not going to take the risk now when this is the mood in Washington,” Amidror added. “But we don’t know.”

Just 16 of the 33 hostages scheduled to be released during the first 42-day phase of the ceasefire have been freed.

Following the first week of the rocky agreement, which saw the release of seven hostages, three hostages per week were slated to be released under terms agreed to by Hamas and Israel. The final 14 hostages will be released together on Feb. 22, marking the final week of the first phase.

MOTHER OF ISRAELI HOSTAGE BEGS TRUMP, NETANYAHU TO BRING SON HOME BEFORE CEASEFIRE COLLAPSES: ‘NO MORE TIME’

The Bibas family, from left: Yarden, Ariel, Shiri, and Kfir. Yarden was released by Hamas in February 2025. The fate of his family remains unknown. (Ofri Bibas Levy)

The IDF has assessed that at least eight of the hostages slated for release in the first phase have been killed while in Hamas captivity, though the number could be higher as the fate of Shiri Bibas and her two young boys – Ariel, who was four years old when he was abducted alongside his brother Kfir, who was nine months old – remains unconfirmed by the IDF.

Hamas has claimed they were killed by an Israeli airstrike, though the IDF has said it does not have evidence to support this.

Mediators were supposed to start to negotiate terms for the release of the remaining 65 hostages earlier this month, though Amidror said he does not believe they has officially begun. At least 26 of those slated for release in the second phase are assessed to have been killed.

In recent weeks, the hostages have confirmed fears that they were tortured, interrogated and starved during their time in Hamas captivity. And the state of the hostages released last week sparked an outcry as many pointed out the similarities in appearance of the three men to images of those who survived the Holocaust.

Emaciated Israeli hostages, from left to the right, Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi and Or Levy, who were held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, are taken by terrorists to a stage before being handed over to the Red Cross in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)

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Five other Americans remain in captivity, including Edan Alexander, 19, an IDF soldier and the only remaining American still assessed to be alive, though he is not slated for release until the second phase of the ceasefire.

IDF soldiers Itay Chen, 19, and Omer Neutra, 22, are believed to have been killed by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, and their bodies continue to be held alongside Gadi and Judi Haggai, who were also killed during the terrorist attack near their kibbutz.

Siegel, 65, thanked Trump for his help in securing his release but urged him to ensure that the ceasefire is upheld and said, “Your leadership and strength will ensure the agreement is honored by all sides – that is what will allow all . . . hostages to return home to their families,” he added.

Caitlin McFall is a Reporter at Fox News Digital covering Politics, U.S. and World news.

February 14, 2025
Ricky Starks makes stunning WWE NXT appearance after release from rival company

The WWE Universe was left stunned on Tuesday as NXT wrapped up its latest episode as pro wrestling superstar Ricky Starks showed up to the building to address the crowd.

Starks was released from All Elite Wrestling on Monday following a months-long absence. He hadn’t been seen on AEW television since March 30, 2024, when he and Big Bill lost a tag-team match to Dante and Darius Martin.

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Ricky Starks at San Diego Comic-Con on July 23, 2022, in San Diego, California. (Irvin Rivera/Getty Images for IMDb)

He made an appearance at a Game Changer Wrestling show at the American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and then appearances at House of Glory last month. He won the DEFY World Championship last week against defending champion KENTA.

Then, he was released. WWE didn’t appear to waste any time for him to show up.

“Holy crap!” NXT broadcaster Vic Joseph said as Starks appeared in the crowd.

Fans in attendance cheered Starks’ name as he addressed them.

JEY USO CHOOSES GUNTHER AS WRESTLEMANIA 41 OPPONENT WITH WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP ON THE LINE

“It’s obvious you know who I am,” he said. “If NXT is the future of professional wrestling, well guess what? You need an absolute superstar of the future. If this is the hottest brand, well you need the hottest free agent right now, baby.”

Starks’ appearance in NXT is the latest example of a pro wrestler making a stunning jump to a rival company.

Ethan Page performed at AEW up until the summer of 2023, and then he was at Ring of Honor before he joined WWE last year. Shawn Spears was with AEW from its launch in 2019 before he rejoined WWE in February 2024 and started to perform in NXT.

On the flip side, former WWE stars Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin and MVP were among those to recently appear in AEW after their departure from the Connecticut-based company.

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The WWE Monday Night Raw Supershow Halloween event on Oct. 31, 2011, in Atlanta. (Moses Robinson/Getty Images)

It’s unclear what impact Starks will make right off the bat. But it was clear fans were excited for his arrival.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

February 13, 2025
Egypt reportedly will release details on plan to rebuild Gaza with no mention of US cooperation

Egypt has apparently released the initial details of a proposal Cairo has put together to rebuild the Gaza Strip within three to five years, though there’s no mention of a plan to work with the Trump administration or Israel.

According to a reporter for i24 News, Egyptian sources told Qatari Al Araby TV the plan is a move to counter the proposal first put forward by President Donald Trump last week suggesting the U.S. would “take over” Gaza and forcibly displace all Palestinians living there.

The Egyptian proposal for reconstruction will reportedly be carried out in cooperation among Arab countries, the European Union and the United Nations.

Fox News Digital could not immediately reach the White House, U.N., Qatari or Egyptian officials to confirm details of the plan.

MY SON IS IN HAMAS TUNNELS – PRESIDENT TRUMP, YOU HAVE THE POWER TO GET HIM OUT

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi arrives at the BRICS summit in Kazan Oct. 23, 2024. (Maxim Shemetov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Sources within the European Union confirmed that while they were aware a plan would be released later this month at a summit with fellow Arab nations, they were not aware of the EU’s or the U.N.’s involvement in the reconstruction plans.

More details of the proposal will reportedly lay out a two-phase project that will first focus on rubble removal and residential building construction.

Details of the plan were reported less than 24 hours after the Egyptian foreign ministry released a statement saying it has “aspirations” to “cooperate” with President Donald Trump and the U.S., but that it also condemned Trump’s proposal to take over the Gaza Strip.

In addition, the ministry said the only way to achieve regional peace was to address the “root cause of conflict” by ending “Israel’s occupation” and implementing a two-state solution, a proposal that would look vastly different from what Trump has said he plans to do.

TRUMP MEETS WITH JORDAN’S KING AMID TENSE TALKS ABOUT RESETTLING PALESTINIANS

King Abdullah II of Jordan, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

While speaking alongside Jordan’s King Abdullah in the Oval Office Tuesday, Trump reaffirmed his plans to take over the Gaza Strip, telling reporters, “We’re going to take it. We’re going to hold it. We’re going to cherish it.”

Though both Jordan and Egypt have pushed back on Trump’s plan to “take over” Gaza, Richard Goldberg, senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a former National Security Council official during the first Trump administration, pointed out that the president’s comments got them moving to take action.

Abdullah on Tuesday announced he will accept up to 2,000 children from Gaza who have cancer or require other medical treatment. Neither Jordan nor Egypt had previously agreed to accept Gazans after the war that ensured Gaza in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.

“These governments are most certainly scrambling to respond to a president who outlined a pretty clear vision and a determination to make it happen,” Goldberg told Fox News Digital. “I’d expect their first round of responses to be wholly unserious, hoping they can put lipstick on a pig and make Trump go away.

“But this president doesn’t fall for those old tricks.”

Trump has claimed there is potential to turn the Gaza Strip into the “Riviera of the Middle East” and on Tuesday said it could be a “diamond.”

Palestinians continue to return to their homes after a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, amid destruction in Gaza City, Gaza, Feb. 2, 2025. (Ali Jadallah/Anadolu via Getty Images)

But King Abdullah would not directly answer reporters’ questions on his position regarding the U.S. takeover.

“I think the point is, how do we make this work in a way that is good for everybody?” Abdullah wondered. “Obviously, we have to look at the best interests of the United States, of the people in the region, especially to my people of Jordan.

“We will be in Saudi Arabia to discuss how we can work with the president and with the United States. So, I think let’s wait until the Egyptians can come and present it to the president and not get ahead of ourselves.”

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Later Tuesday, Abdullah confirmed Jordan’s position on X. And while he thanked the president for a “warm welcome” and “constructive meeting,” he said, “I reiterated Jordan’s steadfast position against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. This is the unified Arab position.

“Rebuilding Gaza without displacing the Palestinians and addressing the dire humanitarian situation should be the priority for all,” he added, echoing a statement released by Egypt’s foreign ministry. “Achieving just peace on the basis of the two-state solution is the way to ensure regional stability.”

Caitlin McFall is a Reporter at Fox News Digital covering Politics, U.S. and World news.

February 13, 2025
White House will not release visitor logs during Trump’s second term

The White House will not release visitor logs during President Donald Trump’s second term, Fox News has confirmed.

The move mirrors the policy of his first administration, a White House official told the Washington Examiner.

Trump’s first administration made the announcement of keeping White House visitors secret in April 2017, according to the Washington Post.

“After four years of the Biden administration’s empty promises, lies, and secrets, President Trump is giving the people and the press a level of access and transparency never seen before,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told the media outlet.

HOUSE DEMS ORGANIZE RAPID RESPONSE TASK FORCE AND LITIGATION GROUP TO COMBAT TRUMP AGENDA

President Donald Trump is pictured in front of the White House. (Getty Images/AP Images)

Releasing visitor logs is not a requirement since they are protected by the Presidential Records Act, which shields the records from public release until five years after a president leaves office, the Examiner said.

President Joe Biden consistently released visitor records at the beginning of each month throughout his term.

At the beginning of Biden’s presidency, media outlets praised the Biden administration for resuming the release of visitor logs after the Trump administration stopped the practice during his term. The New York Times spoke highly of the practice as “part of an effort to restore transparency to government.”

TRUMP’S HOUSE ALLIES UNVEIL BILL ‘HAND IN HAND’ WITH DOGE CRACKDOWN

Former President Joe Biden at a surprise press briefing appearance in October 2024. (POOL)

However, a Bloomberg review of logs from his first two years of office revealed disclosure gaps.

Back in November, the White House had still not released its visitor logs for July, the month Bide gave up his re-election bid, leaving questions about who was seeing and advising the president before he made the historic decision to drop out.

White House visitor logs are protected by the Presidential Records Act. (Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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Former President Barack Obama was the first president to disclose visitor logs, the Examiner reported.

Fox News Digitals’ Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.

February 11, 2025
Israeli cabinet backs Trump’s demand for Hamas to release all hostages

Israel’s security cabinet fully supports President Donald Trump’s demand that the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas release all of its hostages by noon on Saturday or that “all hell is going to break out,” an Israeli official told Fox News.

The declaration comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his security cabinet Tuesday after Hamas announced it is delaying the next release of Israeli hostages.

“The decision I passed in the Cabinet unanimously is this: If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon – the ceasefire will end, and the IDF will resume intense combat until Hamas is decisively defeated,” Netanyahu said in a statement following the meeting.

“In light of Hamas’ announcement of its decision to violate the agreement and not release our hostages, I instructed the IDF last night to amass forces inside and around the Gaza Strip. This operation is currently underway and will be completed as soon as possible,” Netanyahu added.

TRUMP SAYS CEASEFIRE SHOULD BE CANCELED IF HOSTAGES AREN’T RELEASED BY SATURDAY

Israeli captives, from left to the right, Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi and Or Levy, who have been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, are escorted by Hamas fighters on a stage before being handed over to the Red Cross in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)

“We also welcomed the President’s revolutionary vision for the future of Gaza,” Netanyahu said.

Trump said Monday if Hamas does not return all hostages by noon on Saturday, he will call for the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to be canceled and “let all hell break out.”

“If all the Gaza hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 p.m., I would say cancel the ceasefire,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “Let all hell break out; Israel can override it.”

Trump stressed that Hamas needs to release “all of them — not in drips and drabs.”

“Saturday at 12pm and after that, I would say, all hell is going to break out,” Trump said.

Trump reiterated his demand on Tuesday and told reporters that he believes Hamas will listen to him.

ISRAEL SLAMS PALESTINIAN ‘DECEPTION SCHEME’ OVER CLAIM IT HALTED TERROR REWARDS PROGRAM

Israeli soldiers gather by the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on Tuesday, Feb.11. (AP/Ariel Schalit)

A Hamas spokesperson said Monday that the terrorist group will delay the next planned release of hostages in the Gaza Strip after accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement.

“Over the past three weeks, the resistance leadership has monitored the enemy’s violations and failure to fulfill its obligations under the agreement; including the delay in allowing the return of the displaced to the northern Gaza Strip, targeting them with direct shelling and gunfire in various areas across Gaza, and denying relief supplies of all kinds to enter as agreed, while the resistance has implemented all its obligations,” Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Hamas’ military wing, said.

Israel and Hamas are in the midst of a six-week ceasefire, during which Hamas has committed to releasing 33 hostages captured in its Oct. 7, 2023 attack in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Displaced Palestinians, carrying their belongings in vehicles, wait at a security checkpoint in the Netzarim corridor while traveling from central Gaza to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, Feb. 11. (AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)

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The sides have carried out five swaps since the ceasefire went into effect last month, freeing 21 hostages and more than 730 Palestinian prisoners. The next exchange, scheduled for next Saturday, calls for three more Israeli hostages to be freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

Fox News’ Yael Rotem-Kuriel, Brooke Singman, Danielle Wallace, Yonat Friling and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.

February 11, 2025
FBI must release Mar-a-Lago probe records despite Trump’s criminal immunity: Judge

FBI records from the Mar-a-Lago classified documents probe will soon be released despite the dismissal of the case against President Donald Trump and his presidential immunity, according to a federal judge’s ruling Monday.

In a court filing first obtained by Politico, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell found that the FBI must disclose more information related to the case by Feb. 20.

The decision concerned a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case brought by journalist Jason Leopold.

Leopold filed a request with the FBI in 2022 after reports that Trump during his first term “allegedly flushed some presidential records down the toilet when he was still in the White House and brought presidential records, including sensitive classified documents, to his personal residence in Florida,” according to the filing.

The FBI asked the court to authorize withholding the records under Exemption 7A, which concerns “records or information compiled for law enforcement purposes, but only to the extent that production of such law enforcement records or information…could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings.”

CBS STAFFERS UPSET OVER ‘60 MINUTES’ DRAMA, ADMIT KAMALA HARRIS INTERVIEW EDITS WERE AN ‘UNFORCED ERROR’

President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Jan. 7, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

In light of the SCOTUS ruling on presidential immunity as well as Trump’s election win in November, Trump is exempt from criminal proceedings, but Howell found the documents could still be released because of that fact, as there are no law enforcement proceedings against him.

“Somewhat ironically, the constitutional and procedural safeguards attached to the criminal process include significant confidentiality mechanisms…. with a parallel safeguard in Exemption 7(A) to help preserve the necessary confidentiality of ongoing criminal investigations leading to anticipated enforcement actions, but for an immune president, Exemption 7(A) may simply be unavailable, as it is here,” Howell said.

DEMOCRAT LAWMAKERS FACE BACKLASH FOR INVOKING ‘UNHINGED’ VIOLENT RHETORIC AGAINST MUSK

Documents seized during the FBI search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate on Aug. 8, 2022. (Department of Justice via AP/File)

“Defendants’ motion for summary judgment seeking judgment in their favor as to the legality of relying on Exemption 7(A) to withhold entirely the FBI’s investigative files from the processing of the FOIA request at issue and to assert a Glomar response to the sixth category of requested information, must be denied, and plaintiff’s cross motion for summary judgment as to these legal issues is granted,” the decision concluded. “The parties are directed to submit jointly, by February 20, 2025, a status report proposing a schedule to govern future proceedings to conclude this case expeditiously.”

Howell also noted that though Trump is immune from prosecution, anyone who may have helped to “aid, abet and execute criminal acts,” is not.

Former President Donald Trump headlines a Republican National Committee spring donor retreat in Palm Beach, Fla., on May 4, 2024. (Donald Trump 2024 campaign)

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“Of course, while the Supreme Court has provided a protective and presumptive immunity cloak for a president’s conduct, that cloak is not so large to extend to those who aid, abet and execute criminal acts on behalf of a criminally immune president,” Howell wrote in a footnote. “The excuse offered after World War II by enablers of the fascist Nazi regime of ‘just following orders’ has long been rejected in this country’s jurisprudence.”

Andrea Margolis is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Readers can send story tips to andrea.margolis@fox.com.

February 11, 2025
Trump warns Hamas on hostage release deadline

President Donald Trump said if Hamas does not return all hostages by noon on Saturday, he will call for the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to be canceled and “let all hell break out.”

Trump made the comments after signing executive orders in the Oval Office Monday evening.

When asked if he felt the ceasefire deal should be canceled, the president said that is “Israel’s decision.”

“If all the Gaza hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 p.m., I would say cancel the ceasefire,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “Let all hell break out; Israel can override it.”

HAMAS SAYS IT’S DELAYING NEXT HOSTAGE RELEASE, CLAIMING CEASEFIRE VIOLATIONS

President Donald Trump said “let all hell break loose” if Hamas doesn’t release hostages by deadline. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Trump stressed that Hamas needs to release “all of them—not in drips and drabs.”

“Saturday at 12pm and after that, I would say, all hell is going to break loose,” Trump said.

A Hamas spokesperson said Monday that the terrorist group will delay the next planned release of hostages in the Gaza Strip after accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement.

PARENTS OF AMERICAN MURDERED BY HAMAS MAKE ‘PLEA’ TO TRUMP AFTER LATEST HOSTAGE RELEASE

“Over the past three weeks, the resistance leadership has monitored the enemy’s violations and failure to fulfill its obligations under the agreement; including the delay in allowing the return of the displaced to the northern Gaza Strip, targeting them with direct shelling and gunfire in various areas across Gaza, and denying relief supplies of all kinds to enter as agreed, while the resistance has implemented all its obligations,” Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Hamas’ military wing, said.

“Therefore, the release of the Zionist prisoners next Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, will be postponed until further notice, and until the occupation commits to and provides compensation for the entitlements of the past weeks retroactively,” he said. “We reaffirm our commitment to the terms of the agreement, as long as the occupation remains committed to them.”

Israel and Hamas are in the midst of a six-week ceasefire, during which Hamas has committed to releasing 33 hostages captured in its Oct. 7, 2023 attack in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

The sides have carried out five swaps since the ceasefire went into effect last month, freeing 21 hostages and more than 730 Palestinian prisoners. The next exchange, scheduled for next Saturday, calls for three more Israeli hostages to be freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

“Hamas’ announcement to stop the release of Israeli hostages is a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement and the hostage release deal,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday. “I have instructed the [Israeli Defense Forces] IDF to maintain the highest level of readiness for any possible scenario in Gaza and to fortify the defense of Israeli communities. We will not allow a return to the reality of Oct. 7.”

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Hamas released three gaunt, frail-looking Israeli hostages – civilians Eli Sharabi, 52; Or Levy, 34, and Ohad Ben Ami, 56 – on Saturday after forcing them to speak at a handover ceremony. Israel in turn freed 183 Palestinian prisoners that day.

On Sunday, Trump commented on the conditions of the released Israeli hostages, saying they “looked like Holocaust survivors” and “like they haven’t had a meal in a month.”

“I don’t know how much longer we can take that,” Trump said, referring to the treatment of the hostages, adding, “You know, at some point, we’re gonna lose our patience.”

Fox News’ Danielle Wallace, Yonat Friling and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Brooke Singman is a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.

February 10, 2025
Hamas delays next hostage release, alleging Israel violated ceasefire

A Hamas spokesperson said Monday that the terrorist group will delay the next planned release of hostages in the Gaza Strip after accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement.

“Over the past three weeks, the resistance leadership has monitored the enemy’s violations and failure to fulfill its obligations under the agreement; including the delay in allowing the return of the displaced to the northern Gaza Strip, targeting them with direct shelling and gunfire in various areas across Gaza, and denying relief supplies of all kinds to enter as agreed, while the resistance has implemented all its obligations,” Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Hamas’ military wing, said.

“Therefore, the release of the Zionist prisoners next Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, will be postponed until further notice, and until the occupation commits to and provides compensation for the entitlements of the past weeks retroactively,” he said. “We reaffirm our commitment to the terms of the agreement, as long as the occupation remains committed to them.”

Israel and Hamas are in the midst of a six-week ceasefire, during which Hamas has committed to releasing 33 hostages captured in its Oct. 7, 2023 attack in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

PARENTS OF AMERICAN MURDERED BY HAMAS MAKE ‘PLEA’ TO TRUMP AFTER LATEST HOSTAGE RELEASE

Israeli captives, from left to the right, Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi and Or Levy, who have been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, are escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, on Saturday Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

The sides have carried out five swaps since the ceasefire went into effect last month, freeing 21 hostages and more than 730 Palestinian prisoners. The next exchange, scheduled for next Saturday, calls for three more Israeli hostages to be freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

“Hamas’ announcement to stop the release of Israeli hostages is a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement and the hostage release deal,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday. “I have instructed the [Israeli Defense Forces] IDF to maintain the highest level of readiness for any possible scenario in Gaza and to fortify the defense of Israeli communities. We will not allow a return to the reality of Oct. 7.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding an immediate security assessment, Israeli media reported.

Israeli captive Or Levy, who has been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, is escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

HAMAS FREES 3 MORE HOSTAGES AS PART OF CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT WITH ISRAEL

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a volunteer group dedicated to bringing the surviving Oct. 7 victims home, released a statement.

“In response to Hamas’s recent announcement, we have urgently requested assistance from the mediating countries to help restore and implement the existing deal effectively,” the forum said. “We stand with the Israeli government and encourage maintaining the conditions that will ensure the successful continuation of the agreement, leading to the safe return of our 76 brothers and sisters.”

The Rehan family in their encampment in the ruins of their home amid widespread destruction caused by the Israeli military’s ground and air offensive in Jabaliya, Gaza Strip on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

“Recent evidence from those released, as well as the shocking conditions of the hostages released last Saturday, leaves no room for doubt – time is of the essence, and all hostages must be urgently rescued from this horrific situation,” the forum added.

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Hamas released three gaunt, frail-looking Israeli hostages – civilians Eli Sharabi, 52; Or Levy, 34, and Ohad Ben Ami, 56 – on Saturday after forcing them to speak at a handover ceremony. Israel in turn freed 183 Palestinian prisoners that day.

On Sunday, President Donald Trump commented on the conditions of the released Israeli hostages, saying they “looked like Holocaust survivors” and “like they haven’t had a meal in a month.”

“I don’t know how much longer we can take that,” Trump said, referring to the treatment of the hostages, adding, “You know, at some point, we’re gonna lose our patience.”

Fox News’ Yonat Friling and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and on X: @danimwallace.

February 10, 2025
Deadline looms for release of JFK assassination files

The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and the attorney general are expected to release their proposed plan for the declassification of the JFK files on Friday.

Both offices, in coordination with the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and the Counsel to the President, have until the end of the day Friday to release their proposed plan.

Last month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to declassify files on the assassinations of former President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr.

THE JFK FILES: HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENED SINCE THEIR ORIGINAL PLANNED RELEASE

“Everything will be revealed,” Trump told reporters as he signed the order in the Oval Office.

Last month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to declassify files on the assassinations of former President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr. (Associated Press)

The executive order came after Trump had previously promised on the campaign trail to declassify the documents upon entering his second term, saying at the time, “When I return to the White House, I will declassify and unseal all JFK assassination-related documents. It’s been 60 years, time for the American people to know the truth.”

TRUMP TO DECLASSIFY JFK FILES: FAMED DOCTOR WHO INVESTIGATED ASSASSINATION PREDICTS WHAT AMERICANS COULD LEARN

Trump had initially promised to release the last batch of documents during his first term, but such efforts ultimately dissipated. Trump then blocked the release of hundreds of records on the assassination following several CIA and FBI appeals.

Bondi has yet to formally address Trump’s order to declassify the JFK assassination files and her approach to the task. (Getty Images / Fox News Digital)

“I have no choice,” Trump said in a memo, where he cited “potentially irreversible harm” to national security if he allowed the records to be released. Trump said at the time the potential harm to U.S. national security, law enforcement or foreign affairs is “of such gravity that it outweighs the public interest in immediate disclosure.”

TRUMP SIGNS ORDER TO DECLASSIFY FILES ON JFK, RFK AND MLK ASSASSINATIONS

Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was sworn in on Wednesday, is in New Orleans, Louisiana, for the day to survey Super Bowl LIX security. Bondi’s first full day on the job is part of an effort to highlight the administration’s broader commitment to crack down on violent crime and acts of terrorism.

Bondi has yet to formally address Trump’s order to declassify the JFK assassination files and her approach to the task.

Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick to head DNI, successfully advanced out of the Intel Committee this week, with all Republican members voting in her favor. (AP)

Fox News Digital learned shortly after she was sworn in that the new AG would be issuing several major directives on her first day, including orders to combat the weaponization of the legal system and making prosecutors seek the death penalty when appropriate.

Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for DNI, successfully advanced out of the Intel Committee this week, with all Republican members voting in her favor.

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Gabbard has faced questions during her confirmation process regarding her past meeting with former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, her previous FISA Section 702 stance and her past support for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Fox News’ David Spunt, Breanne Deppisch, Julia Johnson and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

Haley Chi-Sing is a Writer for Fox News Digital. You can reach her at @haleychising on X.

February 7, 2025
Hamas to release 3 more hostages, including US citizen, as part of fragile ceasefire deal

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Terror group Hamas has released two more hostages, with a third, an American-Israeli citizen Keith Siegel, expected to be freed later Saturday as part of the ceasefire agreement with Israel.

Hamas handed over Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas to the Red Cross, and both were expected to be given over to IDF soldiers.

Siegel, 65, was raised in North Carolina and immigrated to Israel as a young man, becoming a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen. He and his wife, Aviva, settled in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. He had been held in Gaza since October 7, 2023, when both were kidnapped from their home during the Hamas massacre.

Aviva Siegel, who was freed in the last hostage deal in November, previously told Fox News about her fears for his deteriorating health, emphasizing that the fight is not over until all hostages return. Alongside Siegel, French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas were also freed. Bibas’ wife and two young children remain in captivity.

ISRAELI WOMAN BRAVELY DESCRIBES HORROR AS HAMAS HOSTAGE: ‘THEY WERE TAKING PLEASURE IN HURTING ME’

Siegel would be the first American freed under the current ceasefire deal. So far, 10 Israeli hostages and five Thai nationals abducted on October 7 have also been released. Six Americans remain in Gaza. Among them, Sagui Dekel-Chen, a 36-year-old father of three, is expected to be freed soon. Another captive, Edan Alexander, 21, from New Jersey, was serving in the IDF when taken. Hamas also holds the bodies of deceased hostages.

Hamas has named Yarden Bibas, Keith Siegel and Ofer Kalderon as the next three hostages to be released. (The Hostages and Missing Families Forum)

Securing the release of U.S. citizens and other hostages remains a top priority for President Donald Trump, who warned Hamas would face “all hell to pay” if they failed to comply. White House envoy Steve Witkoff, closely monitoring the situation, recently became the first U.S. official to visit Gaza in 15 years. “There is almost nothing left of Gaza,” Witkoff told Axios, estimating that full reconstruction could take 10 to 15 years. He stressed that advancing the hostage deal is key to stabilizing the region and broader diplomatic efforts, including Saudi-Israeli normalization talks.

For the families of those still in captivity, the struggle is far from over. Yechi Yehoud, father of released hostage Arbel Yehoud who was released on Thursday, delivered an emotional statement upon his daughter’s return.

“Arbel has come back to us in reasonable health, considering the hell she endured. She survived heroically until the very end, displaying immeasurable courage. We are here also to express our gratitude to President Trump, and his Middle East Special Envoy Mr. Steve Witkoff, who knew how to speak ‘Trump language’ in the Middle East and leverage full diplomatic pressure for the hostages’ return… We won’t rest until we know they’re back with us, alive!”

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE HOSTAGES AND CEASE-FIRE DEAL BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS SET TO BEGIN SUNDAY

Scenes of chaos in Khan Younis, as hostages Gadi Moses and Arbel Yehud were forced to walk on foot through a Palestinian mob to waiting Red Cross vehicles on Jan. 30, 2025. (Majdi Fathi/TPS-IL)

The ceasefire, which has temporarily halted a brutal 15-month war, is unfolding in phases. Each stage involves the staggered release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and increased humanitarian aid into Gaza. However, the process has faced setbacks, including horrific scenes this week when Hamas paraded hostages before an angry mob, endangering their safety. The chaotic handover to the Red Cross sparked outrage in Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu briefly halted the reciprocal release of Palestinian prisoners, warning Hamas against further disruptions.

The current plan includes additional hostage releases in the coming weeks, with 33 captives expected to be freed over six weeks. In return, Israel will release 2,000 Palestinian security prisoners, including 250-300 convicted of deadly attacks, and allow increased humanitarian aid into Gaza. Whether Hamas will fully comply remains uncertain, putting the fragile truce at risk.

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PM Netanyahu Meets with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. (Photo by Prime Minister’s Media Adviser)

Amid high-stakes ceasefire negotiations, Netanyahu has accepted an invitation from President Trump to visit Washington on February 4, making him the first foreign leader to meet Trump in his second term. The visit will focus on the hostage deal, ceasefire discussions, and broader security concerns, including Iran and Gaza’s reconstruction.

February 1, 2025