Deni Avdija secured his place in NBA history after coaches selected him as a Western Conference reserve for the 2026 All-Star Game. His standout season with the Portland Trail Blazers helped him become the first Israeli player ever named an NBA All-Star.
The IDF located and retrieved the remains of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili — the last remaining Israeli hostage taken captive on October 7, 2023 — returning him to Israel for burial after 843 days. His family and national leaders honored his service and sacrifice, noting that his return marks the end of the hostage crisis.
The IDF confirmed that the body of 21-year-old Tanzanian agricultural intern Joshua Loitu Mollel, who was kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7th attacks at Kibbutz Nahal Oz, was returned to Israel this week. Mollel had arrived in Israel just weeks before the attack to participate in an agricultural training program. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that although he was not an Israeli citizen, “we feel like one of our own is back.”
The bodies of three slain hostages were returned to Israel and identified as Asaf Hamami, Omer Neutra, and Oz Daniel. All three were IDF soldiers, and Omer Neutra was an American citizen who was born and raised on Long Island, NY, and made aliyah in 2020. Several deceased hostages remain in Gaza as phase one of the hostage release and ceasefire between Israel and Hamas continues.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the IDF to launch “immediate and powerful strikes” against Hamas in the Gaza Strip following recent ceasefire violations, including attacks on Israeli troops that killed one soldier, and the handling of hostages’ remains. The escalation comes amid rising Israeli anger over what officials describe as repeated breaches of the ceasefire agreement by Hamas.
Five former Israeli hostages—Segev Kalfon, Bar Kuperstein, Eitan Mor, Evyatar David, and Guy Gilboa-Dalal—were discharged from hospitals and received jubilant welcomes upon returning to their homes after over two years in Hamas captivity. Kalfon, 26, was greeted by well-wishers in Dimona, where banners reading “Segev, it’s so good that you’ve come home” were displayed. The hostages had been tortured, starved, and isolated during their time in captivity.