Hamas releases the bodies of the youngest Israeli hostages from its October 2023 terror attack. And Delta Air Lines offers compensation to the passengers whose plane crashed in Toronto this week. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025.
Hamas releases bodies of 4 hostages, including mother and 2 young sons
Israel’s president is seeking forgiveness as the bodies of four hostages taken by Hamas during its attack on Oct. 7, 2023, will soon be returned to their families.
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The militant group said it would release the bodies of Shiri Bibas, who was 32 years old when Hamas abducted her and her sons, 4-year-old Ariel and 9-month-old Kfir, from their home in southern Israel. Earlier this month, Hamas released the children’s father, Yarden Bibas, as part of the ceasefire deal
The fourth body is said to be that of 83-year-old Oded Lifshitz, who was also kidnapped in southern Israel, along with his wife, Yocheved Lifshitz. The terror group released her just a couple of weeks after the abduction on Oct. 24, 2023.
Before the hand-off, Hamas militants arranged four black caskets on a stage in the southern city of Khan Younis.
Israeli authorities said the caskets were first turned over to the Red Cross and then transferred to the Israeli military inside Gaza. The Israelis will take the bodies to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv for examination.
After the handover, Israeli President Isaac Herzog asked for forgiveness for failing to protect those captured on Oct. 7, 2023.
Agony. Pain. There are no words.
— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) February 20, 2025
Our hearts — the hearts of an entire nation — lie in tatters.
On behalf of the State of Israel, I bow my head and ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness for not protecting you on that terrible day. Forgiveness for not bringing you home safely.
May…
He said, “On behalf of the state of Israel, I bow my head and ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness for not protecting you on that terrible day. Forgiveness for not bringing you home safely.”
The handoff came as Hamas proposed the release of all captives remaining in the Gaza Strip in “one go” in exchange for a lasting truce and a complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from the war-torn enclave — while simultaneously rejecting Israel’s demand for Hamas’ disarmament and removal from the region.
The militant group is set to release six more Israeli hostages on Saturday, Feb. 22, which is double the number initially planned. In return, Israel will release all women and individuals under the age of 19 who have been arrested since October 2023 and permit some rubble-clearing equipment to enter Gaza through the border with Egypt.
A total of 73 hostages remain in Gaza, including both Israeli soldiers and civilians — both deceased and alive — as well as some Thai and Nepalese nationals.
Trump warns Zelenskyy to ‘move fast’ on peace negotiations with Russia
President Donald Trump has called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to “move fast” on negotiating an end to the war with Russia. This comes amid an ongoing exchange between the two presidents this week after the Trump administration started collaborating with Russian diplomats to discuss ending the war without involving Ukraine in those initial talks.
“A dictator without elections, Zelenskyy better move fast,” Trump said Wednesday, Feb. 19. “He’s not going to have a country left. Got to move. Got to move fast because. That war is going in the wrong direction. In the meantime, we’re successfully negotiating an end to the war with Russia.”
Zelenskyy accused Trump of “living in a disinformation space” regarding his dealings with Russia. Vice President JD Vance warned Zelenskyy against publicly criticizing Trump, saying it’s a terrible way to handle this administration.
Trump also claimed Ukraine had misused billions in American aid, claiming that some of it is now unaccounted for. He also insisted that Europe contribute its fair share.
The U.S. has allocated approximately $183 billion to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022, according to the U.S. special inspector general overseeing American assistance to Ukraine.
Appeals court won’t reinstate Trump’s birthright citizenship order
The stage is now set for a potential Supreme Court showdown over one of Trump’s executive orders. An appeals court declined the Justice Department’s request to reinstate the order ending birthright citizenship in the U.S. on Wednesday, paving the way for a possible emergency application to the Supreme Court
Since the president signed the order, legal experts have argued that it violates the Fourteenth Amendment, which grants American citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil.
The order denies citizenship to future children born in the U.S. if neither parent is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
Transportation secretary says ‘of course’ it’s safe to fly after recent crashes
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is trying to quell Americans’ growing fears about flying after recent plane crashes.
This follows another tragic incident in Arizona on Wednesday, Feb. 19. Two people died after two small planes collided midair at Marana Regional Airport, located about 20 miles northwest of Tucson.
It marked the second midair collision this year and the second deadly crash in Arizona in less than two weeks.
Marana Regional Airport is an uncontrolled field, which means it does not have an active air traffic control tower. Instead, the pilot-in-command is responsible for maintaining a safe distance from other aircraft in the area.
Investigators are trying to determine what led to the head-on collision
This is merely the latest in a series of recent aviation disasters
Last month, an American Airlines passenger jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided head-on near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. Both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River, resulting in the deaths of all 67 people on board.
Just two days later, a medical transport jet crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood less than two minutes after take-off, killing all six people on board and one person on the ground. Several others on the ground were injured.
A week later, ten people died when a small plane crashed in Alaska after losing speed and altitude, disappearing from radar.
Last week, two private jets collided on the tarmac at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona, resulting in one fatality and four injuries.
On Monday, Feb. 17, a Delta Air Lines flight from Minneapolis to Toronto crash-landed, caught fire and flipped over at Pearson International Airport.
All 80 people aboard survived the crash, but nearly two dozen were hospitalized.
In an interview with CBS News on Wednesday, Feb. 19, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy addressed Americans’ concerns about flying in light of these incidents. He acknowledged that improvements are needed.
“If you look at how many people fly, how many flights we have, of course it’s a safe space,” Duffy said.
However, he added, “The systems that we use are so old. We should be the envy of the world, but we have systems across our network that are run on floppy disks.”
Duffy stated that despite appearances, there is no pattern to the catastrophes, noting that each one is “very unique.”
Meanwhile, Delta announced that it is offering every passenger aboard the jet that crashed in Toronto $30,000, with “no strings attached.” If all 76 passengers and four crew members on the flight accept Delta’s offer, it will ultimately pay out about $2.5 million.
Trump weighs giving 20% of DOGE savings back to taxpayers
As the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) seeks ways to reduce government spending and save taxpayer dollars, Trump stated he is considering returning some of the saved money to the taxpayers.
Trump informed an audience in Miami Beach on Wednesday night that he was contemplating a plan to allocate 20% of the funds to American citizens. He also mentioned that he would designate another 20% for reducing government debt.
DOGE Chair Elon Musk stated that his goal is to reduce federal spending by $2 trillion. DOGE claimed it has already saved $55 billion through spending cuts and layoffs of federal workers in just four weeks.
If the $2 trillion goal is achieved, $400 billion would be returned to American taxpayers, amounting to approximately $5,000 per household, according to Azoria Investment Firm CEO James Fishback.
Apple unveils $599 iPhone 16e featuring artificial intelligence
Apple announced its latest iPhone model. It’s a less expensive iPhone 16, with lots of new technology.
It’s called the iPhone 16e. Apple announced that it uses the latest A18 processor, includes an artificial intelligence assistant and features the first cellular modem designed by Apple.
This is the first update to Apple’s more affordable phone lines, replacing the SE model. Apple appears to be steering customers in this direction since its retail website has now removed both the SE model and the iPhone 14.
The new iPhone 16e is on sale Feb. 28 and priced at $599.
