Israel and the War Updates

President Trump’s new Board of Peace is a multinational body launched to oversee the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, Gaza’s postwar reconstruction and governance, and Israel’s security needs, but has since expanded into a proposed permanent global peace organization with more than 25 participating countries and a broader mandate beyond Gaza.

What is the West Bank? The West Bank is a land of profound historical and religious significance to Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths and a focal point of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This hilly, landlocked territory is home to both vibrant Palestinian communities and longstanding Jewish settlements, with governance divided between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Its history, which goes back to biblical times, is of strategic and cultural importance, making it central to efforts towards a negotiated peace.

After more than two years of war following Hamas’ October 7 massacre, Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a U.S.-brokered peace deal to end the Gaza conflict. Announced by President Donald Trump on October 8, the agreement—based on his 20-point peace plan—includes the release of all 48 Israeli hostages, a partial Israeli troop withdrawal, and the exchange of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

After more than two years of war, a U.S.-brokered deal under President Trump’s 20-Point Peace Plan led to the release of all Israeli hostages, a partial Israeli withdrawal, and the exchange of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, with the recovery of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili on January 26, 2026, marking the completion of phase one.

What does Globalize the Intifada mean in English and how is it a call for people from around the globe to participate in rising up against Israel? AJC unpacks the dangerous slogan.

These are the eight American hostages who were in Hamas captivity. Whether raised in Israel or spending a gap year before college, their lives were violently interrupted when thousands of Hamas terrorists crossed the Gaza border on October 7. Each story is a reminder of lives torn apart, families waiting, and a nation’s enduring hope.

AJC CEO Ted Deutch joins ABC News Live from Israel to discuss the historic return of hostages, President Trump’s speech at the Knesset, and the path toward lasting peace in the Middle East.

AJC CEO Ted Deutch joins MSNBC live from Israel to reflect on the emotional return of Israeli hostages from Gaza, the significance of the fragile ceasefire, and what it means for hopes of lasting peace in the Middle East.

After 738 days, we are overjoyed watching the reunions of the twenty surviving hostages with their loved ones, and our hearts are with the families of the deceased hostages who await their return.

AJC CEO Ted Deutch joins CNN’s Wolf Blitzer to discuss the U.S.-backed Israel-Hamas peace deal, the release of Israeli hostages, and the 20-point framework for lasting peace.

AJC experts break down the U.S.-brokered Israel-Hamas deal, Gaza ceasefire, regional shifts, and next steps for hostages, governance, and advancing lasting peace in the Middle East.

More than two years after the October 7 massacre, Hamas has agreed to return the 48 hostages still in Gaza under the U.S.-brokered peace deal. Jessica Bernton, AJC’s Director of Congressional Affairs, shares details of AJC’s joint advocacy with the hostage families of returned hostages—how personal stories, bipartisan meetings with Congress and the White House, and coordinated delegations kept the issue at the forefront.

Rabbi Noam Marans, AJC’s Director of Interreligious Affairs, gives words to what so many in the Jewish community are feeling right now as we await the release of the hostages.

AJC welcomes President Trump’s announcement of a deal to free the hostages and begin to end the war. As we await the details, we look forward to the day we can finally say every hostage is home. We are grateful to the President and his Administration for their leadership in helping bring about this pivotal moment.

President Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan has drawn broad international support, prioritizing Israel’s security, the release of hostages, and limiting Hamas’s role in Gaza. AJC experts in Jerusalem, Abu Dhabi, and Washington analyze the plan’s implications, exploring both the opportunities for regional peace and the challenges posed by Hamas’s likely rejection. Their insights highlight Israel’s domestic response, Arab world reactions, and the critical role of U.S. leadership in advancing a sustainable resolution.

Over 700 days after the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust, there are still more than 45 hostages held in captivity by Hamas. At a moment when global attention risks shifting elsewhere, it is more urgent than ever to keep the hostages and their families at the top of the international agenda and press for their immediate release.

When will the next hostages be released? Discover the details of the Israel-Hamas hostage and ceasefire deal, including the release of 33 hostages and ongoing negotiations for remaining captives. Learn about the phases of the agreement, the American hostages held by Hamas, and how families have endured months of advocacy and uncertainty. Stay updated on this pivotal development in the Israel-Gaza conflict

American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, welcomes the UN Secretary-General’s decision to blacklist Hamas for patterns of sexual violence in conflict in the recently released Report of the Secretary-General on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence for 2024.

American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, strongly opposes the German government’s decision to impose a partial arms embargo on Israel and urges Berlin to reconsider.