A group of powerful Arab nations released a statement on Saturday rejecting President Donald Trump's proposal that Palestinians in the Gaza Strip be relocated to Egypt and Jordan. 

The foreign ministers of Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, as well as the Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States met in Cairo, Egypt, on Saturday, and released a joint statement afterward detailing matters that the leadership of the powerful Arab countries agreed upon. 

Their agreements included "expressing the continued full support for the steadfastness of the Palestinian people on their land and their adherence to their legitimate rights under international law." The statement said the officials "affirmed their rejection of any violation of these inalienable rights, whether through settlement activities, the expulsion and demolition of homes, land annexation, or the displacement of Palestinians from their land." 

"They also rejected any efforts to encourage the transfer or uprooting of Palestinians from their land, under any circumstances or justifications," the statement, released in English by the Qatari government, said. "Such actions, they noted, threaten regional stability, exacerbate the conflict, and undermine the prospects for peace and coexistence among the region's peoples." 

ISRAEL ORDERS UNRWA TO CEASE OPERATIONS IN COUNTRY OVER TERROR TIES: 'MISERABLY FAILED IN ITS MANDATE'

The statement also "welcomes" the cease-fire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas that was brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States. 

"The participants also expressed their commitment to working with the administration of US President Donald Trump to pursue a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, in line with the two-state solution, and to strive for a conflict-free region," they said. 

Trump was asked in the Oval Office on Friday if he believes that it is a good idea that Egypt and Jordan accept Palestinians from Gaza despite the two countries denying they would do so. 

"I think Jordan will take people, yeah, people from Gaza, and I think Egypt will take them also. I mean, I heard somebody said they're not going to, but I think they will. I feel confident they will," Trump said. 

Israel's war in Gaza, which was started by the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks that killed 1,200 Israelis, is believed to have eliminated most of the terrorist organization's grip on the region, but the matter of reconstruction and eventually reformed leadership without terrorist control hangs in the balance amid a fragile cease-fire agreement. 

Trump first floated the idea of Egypt and Jordan taking in about 1.5 million people from Gaza while addressing reporters aboard Air Force One last month. 

"I’d like Egypt to take people," Trump said. "You’re talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing and say, 'You know, it’s over.'"

"It’s literally a demolition site right now. Almost everything’s demolished, and people are dying there," Trump said of the destruction caused by the 15-month war. "So, I’d rather get involved with some of the Arab nations, and build housing in a different location, where they can maybe live in peace for a change."

Last week, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said the transfer of Palestinians from Gaza "can’t ever be tolerated or allowed."

ISRAELI PARLIAMENT BANS UNRWA OVER TERRORISM TIES, FACES INTERNATIONAL BACKLASH

"The solution to this issue is the two-state solution. It is the establishment of a Palestinian state," he reportedly said at a news conference. "The solution is not to remove the Palestinian people from their place. No."

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi also said that his country’s opposition to Trump's idea was "firm and unwavering."

The Egyptian government said El-Sisi received a call from Trump on Saturday but did not mention the issue. 

"The call fostered a positive discussion between the two Presidents, underscoring the critical importance of advancing the implementation of the first and second phases of the ceasefire agreement, and ensuring the stabilization of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip," according to the Egyptian government read-out. "Additionally, the call emphasized the urgent need to increase the delivery of humanitarian aid and relief to the residents of Gaza." 

El-Sisi "reiterated the imperative to reach lasting peace in Middle East," according to his government. "He affirmed that the international community places its trust in President Trump's capacity to secure a historic and enduring peace agreement, which would bring an end to the decades-long conflict in the region. This is grounded in President Trump's commitment to peace, which he underscored in his inaugural address, as a man of peace. President El-Sisi stressed the vital necessity to launch a peace process conducive to a permanent solution in the region." 

Jordan already is home to more than 2 million Palestinians, according to the Associated Press. Egypt has warned of security implications of transferring large numbers of Palestinians to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, bordering Gaza.

Both countries were the first to make peace with Israel, but they support the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, territories that Israel captured from Jordan and Egypt in 1967's Six-Day War. 

The Israeli government ordered the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to cease its operations in the country as of Thursday amid allegations the agency is involved with the Hamas terrorist group. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left for the U.S. on Sunday to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, looking to strengthen ties with the U.S. government following tensions with the Biden administration over the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu departed for Washington amid the ceasefire with Hamas – which includes hostage releases – still in effect and negotiations for a second phase expected to begin this week. He will be the first foreign leader to visit Trump since his inauguration on Jan. 20.

"The fact that this will be his first meeting with a leader of a foreign country since his inauguration holds great significance for the State of Israel," Netanyahu said in a statement.

HAMAS RELEASES 3 MORE HOSTAGES, INCLUDING US CITIZEN, AS PART OF FRAGILE CEASEFIRE DEAL

"First of all, it indicates the strength of the alliance between Israel and the United States. Secondly, it also reflects the strength of our connection; a connection that has already yielded great things for the State of Israel and the region, and has also brought about the historic peace agreements between Israel and four Arab countries – the 'Abraham Accords' that President Trump led," the prime minister continued.

This comes nearly 16 months after the war in Gaza began, prompted by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack against Israel, leading to military retaliation from Israeli forces.

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

"The decisions we made during the war, combined with the bravery of our IDF soldiers, have already changed the face of the Middle East," Netanyahu said. "They have changed it beyond recognition. I believe that with hard work alongside President Trump, we can change it even more for the better."

"Our decisions and the courage of our soldiers have redrawn the map. But I believe that working closely with President Trump, we can redraw it even further and for the better," he added.

Netanyahu and former U.S. President Joe Biden experienced tension in their relationship during the last administration in Washington, and the Israeli prime minister has not visited the White House since returning to office at the end of 2022.

"We can strengthen Israel's security, we can expand the circle of peace even further, and we can bring about a wonderful era that we never dreamed of. An era of prosperity, security, and peace from a position of strength," Netanyahu said. "The strength of our soldiers, the strength of our citizens, the strength of Israel, and the strength of the alliance between Israel and the United States."

Fox News' Yael Rotem-Kuriel and Reuters contributed to this report.

An Israeli student who attended graduate school at Harvard dealt with hostility due to his religious identity and found himself at odds with a professor who compared the idea of the Jewish state to "White supremacy." 

Matan Yaffe is a founder of an organization that helped Israel's Bedouin Muslim population and came to Harvard so he could gain the skills to further his mission of Tikkun Olam or "healing the world." It didn't take long after his arrival for the trouble to begin. 

"Pretty soon on the first day, there were already hints that something was kind of off," Matan Yaffe told Fox News Digital. 

Yaffe, 40, accepted a scholarship to attend Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government in June 2022. Having founded Desert Stars, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that provides educational and employment opportunities to Israel’s Bedouin community. He was excited to attend the Ivy League school to gain skills he could apply back home. 

Yaffe, an IDF officer, said his first impressions of Harvard were positive, but when he entered the Kennedy School’s "Organizing: People, Power, Change," course taught by Professor Marshall Ganz, he immediately became aware that his Israeli identity would become an issue.

HARVARD SETTLES TWO LAWSUITS DEALING WITH ALLEGATIONS OF ANTISEMITISM

Yaffe is barred from discussing Professor Ganz by name per the terms of a settlement Harvard just reached with the Brandeis Center, which represented the father of five along with other Israeli and Jewish students, but Ganz is named in the lawsuit.

Yaffe decided to team up with two other Israelis on a project entitled "Organizing a growing majority of Israelis acting in harmony building on a shared ethos of Israel, as a liberal Jewish democracy being a cultural, economic and security lighthouse."

The professor summoned the Israelis to his office and informed them that their project was "offensive" and were told they needed to change topics or face "consequences," Yaffe claimed. Ganz allegedly felt that the phrase "Jewish democracy" was at issue and likened the concept to "White supremacy."

AS A HARVARD JEWISH STUDENT, I KNOW ELISE STEFANIK IS THE RIGHT PERSON TO FIGHT ANTISEMITISM AT THE UN

Yaffe was aghast that his project, or homeland for that matter, could be compared to White supremacy, especially since he was hoping his research could help him return to the NGO world to help make Israeli society more inclusive. 

"48% of the world’s nations define themselves by religion or ethnicity including all the Muslim states," Yaffe said in the tense meeting. "I asked him if he ever forced a student to change topics before, and he said no. The whole thing was bizarre," he told Fox News Digital.

The meeting concluded with Yaffe telling the professor that his behavior was antisemitic.  

The entrepreneur said that he and his Israeli classmates were then subjected to a campaign of silencing from the professor. When a fellow classmate offered harsh criticisms of their homeland, they asked to be able to respond.

"You’ve already done enough damage," the professor allegedly replied. Yaffe asked the professor if he would prefer if the three Israeli students dropped his course, Ganz allegedly said he would.

Despite the professor’s seeming antagonism towards the Israeli students, Yaffe and his project-mates attempted to foster dialogue with their classmates regarding their home country. The three Israeli students invited their classmates for a dinner where they could freely discuss any issues they had about Israel or their project. While not all students attended, Yaffe said the dinner went well. 

Yaffe and his Israeli classmates persisted in their choice of project, but were denied the opportunity to present in front of the class, the only students denied the opportunity to do so. Ultimately, the Israeli students all received grades that they felt were unjustly lower than their average. 

"Harvard is the top of the academic world, you’d think it would be a very safe place to share their ideas," Yaffee told Fox News Digital.

While Yaffe felt that being an older student with life experience in the military and the business world helped protect him from what could have been a very traumatic experience, he felt compelled to fight back against what happened so a younger, more vulnerable student would never have to endure what he did. 

"I’m relatively a lucky guy, I have many anchors in my life. I have kids, a wife, a state that I love. What would happen if I didn’t have all of these anchors, if I was a 20-year-old Jewish guy growing up in America not holding the identity of Israel as a backbone, and suddenly I became very alarmed. I understood that many people that might not have the anchors that I have, this kind of incident could be very traumatic on the personal level," Yaffe said.

An independent investigator concluded that the Harvard Kennedy School created a "hostile learning environment" for the Israeli students. Harvard accepted the finding's conclusions. 

Harvard settled with the Brandeis Center on Tuesday. As part of the settlement, the university agreed to adopt the International Historical Remembrance Association’s definition of antisemitism.

"This is a very strong settlement, and a huge win. Not only will this have a major impact at Harvard University and the university’s stature, it will have a huge influence throughout American higher education," Brandeis Center Founder and Chairman Ken Marcus told Fox News Digital. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Harvard and Professor Ganz for comment, but did not immediately hear back. 

Yarden Bibas is back in Israel more than 480 days after Hamas terrorists ripped him from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz and dragged him to the Gaza Strip. Bibas’ return, however, is bittersweet as his wife, Shiri, and their two young children, Ariel and Kfir, remain in Gaza. Their fate is unknown, and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has made it clear that there are "grave concerns about their wellbeing."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrated Yarden Bibas’ return, while saying the nation’s thoughts are with Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas.

"Our thoughts are now with Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas, and all of our abductees. We will continue to work to bring them home," Netanyahu wrote on X.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog also commented on Yarden’s release, calling it "heartbreaking."

"Yarden's reunion with his family is simply heartbreaking. We all remain deeply concerned for the fate of our beloved Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas - as an entire nation we hold them in our hearts. The people of Israel stand by Yarden and the whole family, with great concern and in heartfelt prayer," Herzog wrote in a post on X.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum also celebrated Yarden Bibas’ return, and vowed to continue demanding that his wife and two sons be released.

Early Saturday, Bibas was freed alongside American-Israeli Keith Siegel and French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon in the fourth round of hostage releases as part of phase one of Israel and Hamas’ ongoing ceasefire deal.

"From the moment Hamas launched its barbaric attack on October 7th, we have remained committed to one mission—bringing every hostage home," IDF International Spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani wrote on Substack. "We cannot and will not forget for a moment, the 79 hostages that remain in Hamas captivity."

AMERICAN AMONG THREE HOSTAGES FREED FROM TERROR'S GRIP AFTER NEARLY 500 DAYS

"Today, Americans celebrate the return of American-Israeli citizen Keith Siegel and two Israelis who were held captive by Hamas terrorists since Oct. 7, 2023.  President Trump and his Administration have worked diligently to secure their release and are committed to freeing all remaining hostages," said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein also celebrated the release of Siegel, a native North Carolinian.

"Anna and I are rejoicing that at long last, Keith Siegel is free from Hamas and reunited with his family," Stein wrote. "Let us celebrate for the families who are finally reunited and continue working towards the freeing of all American hostages and a lasting peace for the region. There has been too much suffering."

The release of Bibas, Siegel and Kalderon looked different from previous hostages’ releases, which saw shocking scenes of crowds mobbing the captives as they were transferred to the Red Cross. This change is likely due to Netanyahu’s demand that mediators guarantee the hostages safe exits following the chaotic scenes.

While in captivity, Bibas was forced to make a hostage film in which he was seen breaking down as Hamas claimed his wife and children had been killed. Hamas often uses these types of videos as part of what the IDF calls "psychological terror." However, the terror organization included Shiri, Kfir and Ariel on the list of 33 hostages set to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire deal.

Upon his release, Yarden's family said that "a quarter of our heart has returned to us after 15 long months… Yarden has returned home, but the home remains incomplete."

As images and videos of Hamas’ brutal attacks on Oct. 7 began to spread, the Bibas family quickly became a symbol of the terror group’s cruelty. A video of Shiri Bibas holding her two red-headed children in her arms was spread across the globe. Those calling for the Bibas’ family’s release often used the color orange to symbolize the infant and toddler’s bright red hair.

At the time of their kidnapping, Kfir was 9 months old and Ariel was 4 years old. They are the only child hostages remaining in Gaza. Ariel is now 5 years old and Kfir marked his second birthday in Hamas captivity, where he has spent his two and only birthdays.

As of Saturday, 79 hostages remain in Gaza, 35 of whom have been declared dead and whose bodies remain in the hands of Hamas. Keith Siegel, who was freed on Saturday, is the first Israeli-American to be released. There are still six American citizens in Gaza, only two of whom are believed to be alive.  

Anti-Israel protesters say they spray-painted the front of a Columbia University building and "cemented" the sewage lines of another building to mark the one-year anniversary of a Palestinian girl who was killed by Israeli forces in 2024.

Three groups, in a joint post, uploaded a video to social media on Wednesday showing evidence of their defacement, while Columbia University says it is working with law enforcement to investigate the incident, which included "disturbing, personal attacks."

The video shows the front of the Henry R. Kravis Hall building at the university’s Business School in Manhattan being doused and then covered with red spray paint.

MASKED ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY DEMONSTRATE AS STUDENTS CHECK IN FOR FIRST DAY OF CLASSES

The walls of the women’s restroom at the university’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) building were also spray-painted with an image of Hind Rajab, the 6-year-old who died during Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.

The protesters also sprayed the words "Keren eat Weiner" with a drawing of feces. The message relates to Rebecca Weiner, the NYPD’s deputy commissioner for intelligence, who also serves as an SIPA adjunct professor.

The protesters also claimed to have clogged the toilets with cement.

"One year ago, the world failed Hind. But today and every day we owe Hind, all our martyrs, and ourselves, action," the defiant post reads. "So today we acted. Inspired by Hind, and the bravery of every Palestinian child who has faced down Israeli genocide for the last century - whether they threw a Molotov at a checkpoint, a rock at a tank, or made a call for help. So long as they resist, so must we."

The women’s restrooms on the fourth, sixth, 14th, and 15th floors of the SIPA building were "vandalized with a cement-like substance causing the toilets to clog," according to an internal email by the university, cited by the Columbia Spectator. 

COLUMBIA STUDENTS CONFRONT ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS WHO STORMED CLASSROOM WITH ANTISEMITIC FLYERS

In the video, a gray watery substance is seen in a toilet.

"Early this morning, Columbia Business School’s main entrance was sprayed with red paint in an act of vandalism," the university said in a statement. "Vandalism of a University building in an attempt to disrupt our academic mission and intimidate or harass our community will not be tolerated. We will provide updates as they become available."

The three anti-Israel groups — the Palestine Solidarity Working Group, Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) and @nycresistswithgaza — bragged about the vandalism and wrote that they targeted the Henry R. Kravis Hall building because they say it is "one of Columbia's most recent violent gentrification projects into Harlem."

"The construction of which was conditioned on the creation of Columbia's Apartheid Global Center in ‘Tel Aviv.’ We will not allow this land-grab to go unchallenged."

They said that the SIPA building was targeted because it was the first Columbia institution to expel a student for their support for "Palestinian liberation," which is run by Keren. 

When a mob of anti-Israel protesters stormed the iconic Hamilton Hall academic building at the university in April during the campus protests, they rebranded it "Hind’s Hall," after Rajab. The group unfurled a banner with "Hind’s Hall" emblazoned on it and at the time they described her as a "Gazan Martyr."

Rajab was killed as she and her family were fleeing Gaza City when their vehicle was shelled.

The attack killed her uncle, aunt and three cousins, with Rajab and another cousin surviving. She contacted the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to ask for help while noting that they were being attacked by an Israeli tank. 

And then there was a burst of gunfire. She screamed and fell silent. But after the organization sent an ambulance, it lost contact with the crew.

Twelve days later, the ambulance was discovered, blackened and destroyed. The two medics were dead and Rajab. Her cousin also died. 

The Palestinian Red Crescent accused Israeli forces of targeting the ambulance as it pulled up near the family’s vehicle. The organization said it had coordinated the journey with Israeli forces as in the past.

Wednesday's incident came on the same day President Donald Trump ordered a law enforcement crackdown on antisemitism on college campuses, including removing pro-Hamas activists with student visas from the country,

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

The Israeli government has ordered the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to cease its operations in the country, effective today, Jan. 30, 2025. This decision follows years of mounting accusations against the agency, including claims of involvement with the terrorist group Hamas. 

The move marks the culmination of a long-standing effort by Israel to distance itself from the organization, which it accuses of undermining its national security.

The Israeli legislation, passed in October 2024, explicitly bans UNRWA from operating within Israel’s sovereign territory. The law also prohibits any communication or collaboration between Israeli officials and UNRWA representatives. Under the new rules, all UNRWA facilities in Jerusalem, including those in Maalot Dafna and Kafr Aqab, must be evacuated. The legislation also addresses accusations that UNRWA has allowed Hamas to infiltrate its ranks.

ISRAEL TELLS UN IT'S SHUTTING DOWN ALL UNRWA OPERATIONS IN JERUSALEM: 'ACUTE SECURITY RISKS'

Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon defended the decision at the U.N. on Tuesday, stating, "It is intolerable for any sovereign state to facilitate the operations of an agency that threatens its national security."

Danon said that the move was not politically motivated but was instead driven by years of alleged failures by UNRWA, including claims of complicity in terrorism. "This decision reflects the reality that UNRWA has miserably failed in its mandate, and it has failed the people who were supposed to benefit from its services," Danon asserted.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has vehemently opposed Israel’s actions, calling the ban "disastrous." 

Addressing the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday, Lazzarini claimed that the full implementation of the Israeli legislation would cripple humanitarian efforts in Gaza and the West Bank. "Since October 2023, we have delivered two-thirds of all food assistance, provided shelter to over a million displaced persons, and vaccinated a quarter of a million children against polio," Lazzarini said. "We conduct around 17,000 medical consultations every day."

"Nine days ago, the long-awaited ceasefire in Gaza began," Lazzarini continued. "We are heartened by the return of Israeli hostages and imprisoned Palestinians to their families. We are encouraged by marked improvements in the flow of humanitarian aid and operating conditions. We hope that the ceasefire will hold and that the tremendous suffering in Gaza will subside. UNRWA is the largest UN presence in Gaza, with 13,000 personnel and 300 premises. The relentless assault on UNRWA is harming the lives and future of Palestinians," Lazzarini warned.

ISRAELI PARLIAMENT BANS UNRWA OVER TERRORISM TIES, FACES INTERNATIONAL BACKLASH

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Wednesday, "Humanitarian aid doesn’t equal UNRWA, and UNRWA doesn’t equal humanitarian aid. UNRWA equals an organization infested with Hamas terror activity. This is why, beginning today, Israel will have no contact with UNRWA. Israel remains committed to facilitating humanitarian aid to Gaza in accordance with international law and the framework for the hostage release. In fact, Israel is facilitating the entry of even more humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza than agreed in the hostage release framework. There are multiple alternative organizations to UNRWA—including U.N. agencies, international NGOs, and foreign countries—that are already operating to facilitate humanitarian aid in Gaza, and their role will only increase."

Israeli Member of Parliament Yulia Malinovsky, one of the authors of the legislation, expressed her support for the decision. 

"I watched the hypocrisy of many countries in the U.N. Security Council this week. Their representatives spoke about how UNRWA is an indispensable part of Gaza's reconstruction and how it cannot operate without it. Well, no, UNRWA only brings suffering to the people of Gaza, and just like Hamas, it has brought destruction to Gaza," she told Fox News Digital. 

"This organization is a terrorist organization that has killed, raped, and kidnapped innocent civilians," she said, referring to accusations that UNRWA employees participated in the Oct. 7 massacre, and held hostages in their homes.

The move follows the Trump administration’s decision to look into halting some foreign aid to various groups. Congress paused funding to UNRWA last year following allegations that UNRWA employees were involved in the Oct 7. massacre.  

The U.N. and international community now face the challenge of filling the void left by the agency’s departure, while Israel has made it clear that it will not back down in its fight against what it perceives as terrorism masquerading as aid but made clear it would be willing to work with other U.N. agencies.

Danon reiterated on Tuesday that, "Israel remains committed to its obligations under international law and we reaffirm our readiness to cooperate with other U.N. agencies that are not tainted by terror."

Malinovsky, stated that international pressure to reverse Israel’s decision was unnecessary. "We are an independent and sovereign state, and we will not compromise on our national defense and interests. Today, UNRWA will end its operations in Israel, and all direct or indirect contact with it will cease."

Hamas began a third round of freeing hostages in Gaza Thursday as part of an ongoing ceasefire agreement with Israel. 

Hamas handed female Israeli soldier Agam Berger, 20, to the Red Cross at a ceremony in the heavily destroyed urban refugee camp of Jabaliya in northern Gaza. She was later transferred to the Israel Defense Forces. 

"The Government of Israel embraces IDF soldier Agam Berger," read a post on the official X account of the Israeli Prime Minister's Office. "Her family has been updated by the responsible authorities that she is with our forces. The Government, together with all of the security officials, will accompany her and her family." 

FORMER HAMAS HOSTAGE DETAILS HORRORS OF CAPTIVITY, CREDITS KIDNAPPED IDF SOLDIER WITH SAVING HER LIFE

"Thank God we have reached this moment, and our hero Agam has returned to us after 482 days in enemy hands. Our daughter is strong, faithful, and brave," Berger's family said in a statement. "We want to thank the security forces and all the people of Israel for their support and prayers. "Now Agam and our family can begin the healing process, but the recovery will not be complete until all the hostages return home." 

Another ceremony was planned in the southern city of Khan Younis, in front of the destroyed home of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Both were attended by hundreds of people, including masked militants and onlookers.

YARDEN GONEN: THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP, FOR RESCUING MY SISTER FROM HAMAS

Hamas has agreed to handover three Israelis and five Thai captives on Thursday. In exchange, Israel was expected to release 110 Palestinian prisoners. 

The truce is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and Hamas, whose Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel sparked the fighting. It has held despite a dispute earlier this week over the sequence in which the hostages were released.

In Israel, people cheered, clapped and whistled at a square in Tel Aviv where supporters of the hostages watched Berger's handover on big screens next to a large clock that's counted the days the hostages have been in captivity. Some held signs saying: "Agam we're waiting for you at home."

Berger was among five young, female soldiers abducted in the Oct. 7 attack. The other four were released on Saturday. The other two Israelis set to be released Thursday are Arbel Yehoud, 29, and Gadi Moses, an 80-year-old man.

FORMER HAMAS HOSTAGE NAAMA LEVY BREAKS SILENCE IN FIRST MESSAGE SINCE HER RELEASE

There was no official confirmation of the identities of the Thai nationals who will be released.

A number of foreign workers were taken captive along with dozens of Israeli civilians and soldiers during Hamas' attack. Twenty-three Thais were among more than 100 hostages released during a weeklong ceasefire in November 2023. Israel says eight Thais remain in captivity, two of whom are believed to be dead.

STATE DEPT PULLS MILLIONS IN FUNDING FOR ‘CONDOMS IN GAZA,’ AS TRUMP ADMIN LOOKS TO TRIM SPENDING

Of the people set to be released from prisons in Israel, 30 are serving life sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks against Israelis. Zakaria Zubeidi, a prominent former militant leader and theater director who took part in a dramatic jailbreak in 2021 before being rearrested days later, is also among those set to be released.

Israel said Yehoud was supposed to have been freed Saturday and delayed the opening of crossings to northern Gaza when she was not.

The United States, Egypt and Qatar, which brokered the ceasefire after a year of tough negotiations, resolved the dispute with an agreement that Yehoud would be released Thursday. Another three hostages, all men, are set to be freed Saturday along with dozens more Palestinian prisoners.

On Monday, Israel began allowing Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, the most heavily destroyed part of the territory, and hundreds of thousands streamed back. Many found only mounds of rubble where their homes had been.

WASHINGTON POST CITES PRO-PALESTINIAN GROUP US GOVERNMENT DECLARED A ‘SHAM CHARITY’ FOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION

In the first phase of the ceasefire, Hamas is set to release a total of 33 Israeli hostages, including women, children, older adults and sick or wounded men, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israel says Hamas has confirmed that eight of the hostages to be released in this phase are dead.

Palestinians have cheered the release of the prisoners, who they widely see as heroes who have sacrificed for the cause of ending Israel's decades-long occupation of lands they want for a future state.

Israeli forces have meanwhile pulled back from most of Gaza, allowing hundreds of thousands of people to return to what remains of their homes and humanitarian groups to surge assistance.

The deal calls for Israel and Hamas to negotiate a second phase in which Hamas would release the remaining hostages and the ceasefire would continue indefinitely. The war could resume in early March if an agreement is not reached.

Israel says it is still committed to destroying Hamas, even after the militant group reasserted its rule over Gaza within hours of the truce. Hamas says it won't release the remaining hostages without an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Israel's ensuing air and ground war after Oct. 7, 2023 has been among the deadliest and most destructive in decades. More than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed, over half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were militants.

The Israeli military says it killed over 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence, and that it went to great lengths to try to spare civilians. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its fighters operate in dense residential neighborhoods and put military infrastructure near homes, schools and mosques.

The Israeli offensive has transformed entire neighborhoods into mounds of gray rubble, and it's unclear how or when anything will be rebuilt. Around 90% of Gaza's population has been displaced, often multiple times, with hundreds of thousands of people living in squalid tent camps or shuttered schools.

An Israeli restaurant in Brooklyn was vandalized over the weekend in what New York City Mayor Eric Adams is calling a "despicable act of antisemitism." 

The New York City Police Department told Fox News Digital that its Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating after the phrases "Israel steals culture" and "Genocide cuisine" were found painted on the exterior of Miriam early yesterday morning. 

"This was a despicable act of antisemitism at Miriam, a beloved Israeli restaurant in Park Slope," Adams wrote on X, sharing images of the restaurant’s front door covered in red paint. 

"As mayor of the city with the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, I am particularly heartbroken by this evil act. Make no mistake, the NYPD is investigating and will find those responsible," he added. 

HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY: A TOWN ONCE INHABITED BY NAZIS RECONCILES WITH THE PAST 

The restaurant said it was "sadly vandalized with messages of hate," but "we refuse to let this darken our spirit." 

"Miriam stands for inclusivity and unity and bringing people together through the shared love of delicious food and warm hospitality. We celebrate the diverse flavors of the Mediterranean, where cultures intertwine and stories are shared," it wrote on Instagram. "We will continue to be a safe place where everyone feels welcome. Join us in spreading love, not hate." 

A second Miriam location in Manhattan’s Upper West Side neighborhood was vandalized in 2022, according to the New York Post. 

Owner Rafi Hasid decided to open the Brooklyn location on Sunday with the messages still painted on the glass, the newspaper reported. Three masked individuals reportedly were seen targeting the property around 3 a.m. Sunday. 

"I want the people to see it. I don’t want to wash it right away. People should see... that things like that happen," Hasid told the Post. 

HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR RECOUNTS HOW MOTHER SAVED HER LIFE, REVEALS MESSAGE TO UN 

The NYPD told Fox News Digital that as of Monday morning, "there are no arrests, and the investigation is being handled by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force." 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Rep. Ritchie Torres, both Democrats from New York, posted messages of support for Miriam in the wake of the incident. 

"I visited Miriam this evening, the Brooklyn restaurant that experienced despicable vandalism last night. I met with the owner, the workers, and their patrons," Schumer wrote on X. "I told them I stood with them, and that vandalizing a restaurant because the owner was Jewish was outright antisemitism. Period. Hate has no place in New York." 

"Jew-hatred will find no refuge in the City of New York," Torres added. "A hate crime against the Jewish community is a hate crime against all of us."