Here is what is known about the people taken hostage on October 7, the history of Hamas’ hostage-taking, how Israel has responded in the past, and the latest on hostages negotiations.
Everything You Need to Know About Israel
American Jewish Committee (AJC) works to set the record straight on Israel, calling out fact from fiction and standing up to those seeking to tear down and discriminate against the region’s only democratic nation and world’s only Jewish state.
AJC works every day, in the United States and around the world, to advocate for Israel through global diplomacy, political advocacy, coalition building, and strategic communications.
The resources below include facts and key insights into Israel-related topics, including the U.S.-Israel relationship, the Abraham Accords, Israel-diaspora relations, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a two state solution, Israeli democracy, the UN’s anti-Israel bias, Israeli Arabs, the connection between antisemitism and anti-Zionism, Hamas, Hezbollah, Gaza, the West Bank, Palestinians, and more.
To find answers to your questions about Israel use the search bar below and check boxes on the left to view articles, videos, podcasts, columns, eBooks, and more. Don’t see an answer to your question about Israel? Click here to let us know.
What is Known About Israeli Hostages Taken by Hamas
Israel and the Path to Peace - AJC at the Democratic National Convention
At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, convened a panel discussion with experts who discussed Israel’s right to self-defense and security, governance in Gaza, the Iranian regime and its network of terror, the Jewish state’s relationship with Arab countries in the Gulf, and much more.
Key Takeaways from Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Address to Congress
At the invitation of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, emphasizing the strong U.S.-Israel relationship, the shared interests of the two countries in battling Hamas, and the need to counter the Iranian regime’s threats throughout the Middle East. Netanyahu was joined at the Capitol by several freed hostages, hostage families, and heroic IDF soldiers.
"Within Our Lifetime": What You Need to Know About the Pro-Hamas and Antisemitic Group
Meet Within Our Lifetime - United for Palestine (WOL), the anti-Israel group that hasn’t been afraid to call for the death of Jews.
What Every American Should Know About U.S. Aid to Israel
U.S. security aid is particularly important in Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, which is constantly under attack.
Hamas’ October 7 Massacre Plan Was Inspired by Hezbollah’s Radwan. Here’s What to Know About the Elite Terror Unit.
Since October 7, Israel and Hezbollah have been engaged in near-daily exchanges of Hezbollah rocket fire and Israeli reprisals, with Hezbollah launching increasingly larger rocket, drone, and arson attacks on northern Israel that threaten a wider war. Here's what to know about Hezbollah's Radwan.
Why Israel’s Ties With Africa Will Survive The War In Gaza
Israel’s global standing has been greatly damaged since Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack. With the expansion of the Israel Defense Force’s (IDF) counter-offensive against Hamas and the increasing death toll in Gaza, Israel has now become the object of severe international criticism. These condemnations sharply contrast with the past decade, which had largely been positive for Jerusalem on the global stage.
What the State Department’s National Security Memorandum Said, and Didn't Say, About Israel’s Defensive War Against Hamas
On May 10, the Biden administration released a report assessing Israel’s conduct amid the ongoing war Israel-Hamas war.
The 46-page State Department report, formally known as the National Security Memorandum 20, was ordered by President Biden earlier this year to verify whether seven different countries - including Israel – adhere to international law in their use of U.S.-made weapons.
The 46-page State Department report, formally known as the National Security Memorandum 20, was ordered by President Biden earlier this year to verify whether seven different countries - including Israel – adhere to international law in their use of U.S.-made weapons.
AJC Campus BDS Backgrounder
Learn more about the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
AJC CEO Ted Deutch Responds to President Biden's Weapons Pause to Israel
AJC CEO Ted Deutch responds to President Biden's weapons pause to the Jewish state.
5 Reasons Why Unilateral Recognition of Palestinian Statehood at the UN Would Be a Major Setback for Peace
Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, rocket attacks from Hezbollah in Israel’s north, and Iranian drone and missile attacks on Israel, the Palestinian Authority is attempting to circumvent the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and unilaterally gain admission to the United Nations as a member state.
What You Need to Know About Israel’s Humanitarian Aid To Gaza
By air, land, and sea. That’s how Israel and its allies have tried to sidestep Hamas terrorists in Gaza "to flood the area with supplies" for Palestinian civilians. Here's everything you need to know about Israel's humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Biden Acknowledged Hostage Families at the State of the Union. Here’s Who They Are.
In his State of the Union address, President Joe Biden is expected to highlight key accomplishments during his first term in office and make the case for his re-election. While many domestic issues will take center stage, the ongoing Israel-Hamas war will likely be a topic addressed by the president. In the audience will be the families of Americans held captive or murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023.
What You Need to Know About Hezbollah: The Anti-Israel Terror Group With More Firepower Than Most NATO Militaries
Hezbollah’s arsenal of weapons poses a direct threat to Israeli cities, strategic sites, and civilian population centers and could be activated by the Iran-backed terror group at any time.
AJC Letter to Columbia Law Following Admitted Student Luncheon
American Jewish Committee (AJC) letter in regard to recent events at the admitted student luncheon at Columbia Law in which unauthorized protesters barged uninvited into a program for newly admitted law students and confronted attendees with virulently anti-Israel messaging and abusive rhetoric that communicated the unvarnished message that Zionists are not welcome at Columbia Law School.
Hamas' Most Horrific Weapon of War: 5 Takeaways from UN Report on Sexual Violence Against Israelis
The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict has issued a report validating the heinous and sadistic crimes committed against women during the October 7 terror attacks and against hostages held by Hamas since that day.
What Everyone Needs to Know About Hamas’ Lie About Gaza Aid Stampede
On February 29, dozens of Palestinians were reportedly killed as thousands overran humanitarian aid trucks entering Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip. In a separate incident nearby, there were up to 10 Palestinian casualties when a group of Gazans approached Israeli soldiers, who were securing the aid deliveries at the border crossing between Gaza and Israel. Here is what you need to know about the Gaza stampede for aid, which is also being called the "flour massacre."
5 Facts About the Jewish People's Ancestral Connection to the Land of Israel
With the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre with now 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals reported dead and 134 still held hostage, there have been renewed attempts to rewrite history and assert that Jews are “foreign occupiers” with no ties to the land of Israel. Among the lies being spread is an effort to undermine Israel’s legitimacy by accusing it of being a settler-colonial state.
Featured Content:
- What Hamas is Hiding
- AJC's Tough Questions Series
- Timeline: Key Events In The Israel-Arab And Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
- Tough Questions About Gaza Answered
- Setting the Record Straight on Hezbollah: Full Report
- 10 Basic Facts About the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
- What You Need To Know About Israel’s Judicial Reforms
- The Abraham Accords, Explained
- Israel: A Nation Reborn
- 5 Things You Need to Know About Israel’s Iron Dome Defense System
- 8 Ways Some Anti-Israel Protests Have Spread Antisemitism
- 15 Israel-related Whoppers
- Tough Questions About Gaza Answered
