Yossi Melman

2 months ago | thejc.com | Imogen Garfinkel |Ellie Grant |Yossi Melman |Elisa Bray

Israel Defence Forces soldier Agam Berger, 20, was freed by Hamas terrorists on Thursday as part of the ceasefire agreement with Israel, 482 days after she was taken captive during the October 7 massacre. “Agam Berger, accompanied by IDF and [Israel Security Agency] forces, recently crossed the border into the territory of the State of Israel and is currently on her way to the initial absorption point in the Gaza border area, where she will meet her parents,” the military confirmed.

2 months ago | thejc.com | Imogen Garfinkel |Ellie Grant |Yossi Melman |Elisa Bray

Israeli hostage Agam Berger, the first of eight captives in Gaza due to be returned today, has been freed this morning. The release of Berger, 20, will be followed by civilians Arbel Yehoud, 29, and Gadi Moshe Mozes, 80. Five Thai nationals are also expected to be released, following separate negotiations through Thai diplomatic channels. They are yet to be named. At least 31 Thais were kidnapped during the October 7 massacres in southern Israel, and six remain alive Gaza.

2 months ago | thejc.com | Imogen Garfinkel |Ellie Grant |Yossi Melman |Elisa Bray

Gadi Mozes has been named as the third Israeli hostages to be set free from Gaza tomorrow. Mozes will be released alongside Arbel Yehoud, 29, and 19-year-old soldier Agam Berger after 481 days in captivity since their abduction on October 7, 2023. The 80-year-old agricultural expert, was taken from Nir Oz during the attack. His partner, Efrat Katz, was killed, and his family has not received any information about him since December 2023, when he appeared in a Hamas propaganda video.

2 months ago | thejc.com | Yossi Melman |Ellie Grant |Amelie Botbol |Daniel Ben-David

Over the past 15 months, nearly 250 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles have been launched at Israel from Yemen. Despite five significant Israeli airstrikes coordinated with the US, the UK and other Western coalition partners – targeting pro-Iranian Houthi government sites such as seaports, Sana’a’s airport, oil facilities, and missile depots – the Houthis remain undeterred.

2 months ago | thejc.com | Yossi Melman |Jake Wallis Simons |Gavin Schaffer |Howard Jacobson

Officially, the Assad regime fell on December 8 when rebel forces seized Damascus in a swift offensive that lasted just over a week. But the countdown to Syria’s collapse – and with it, the erosion of Iran’s influence in the region – began much earlier, on September 17. On that day and the next, thousands of pagers – hand-held communications devices used by Hezbollah – as well as radio gear exploded simultaneously across Lebanon and Syria.