Israel’s Health Ministry has formulated a comprehensive protocol for treating hostages, due soon to be released from Hamas captivity in Gaza, based on lessons learned from the 2023 exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian terrorists.
The protocol includes detailed guidelines for medical examinations, mental health care, privacy protection and long-term support for returnees and their families, emphasizing personalized care and respect for dignity.
Key guidelines
Advance information: Transfer of medical information to hospitals before returnees’ arrival, including reports from border-crossing medical teams;

British low-cost carrier EasyJet announced on Friday that it will resume flights to Israel this summer.
The news comes as an increasing number of foreign airlines are renewing flights to Ben-Gurion International Airport as regional tensions de-escalate.
The budget airline said it would operate 38 weekly flights to and from Israel starting June 1, servicing London, Amsterdam, Basel, Berlin, Geneva, Milan and Nice.
The Lufthansa Group of airlines announced on Thursday that it will restart service to Israel next month. The global aviation heavyweight includes Lufthansa, Swiss International Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways and Eurowings.
Air France and British Airways are expected to follow suit in the coming months.

Apple has temporarily pulled the plug on a recently launched artificial intelligence (AI) feature that churned out inaccurate summaries of news headlines from the BBC, Sky News, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and other media organizations.
The iPhone maker’s service falsely created the headline that Luigi Mangione—the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson—had shot himself. It also incorrectly told users that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been arrested and that Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal had come out as gay. It even claimed Donald Trump had endorsed Kamala Harris’ 2024 Democratic running mate Tim Walz for president, according to the Post.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told Israeli media at the Israeli embassy in Washington that he trusts the judgement of Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu on accepting the ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas.
“There’s no such thing as a perfect deal,” Graham said, during a ceremony honoring Michael Herzog, the outgoing Israeli ambassador in Washington and brother of Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
In a press gaggle, Graham told reporters that he wasn’t aware of all the details of the agreement, which both the incoming Trump administration and the outgoing Biden administration have claimed as their own major victory.

President-elect Donald Trump announced on Friday that he had a productive phone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, during which they discussed various topics of mutual interest, including trade, the fentanyl crisis, and TikTok.
“I just spoke to Chairman Xi Jinping of China,” Trump shared in a post on his Truth Social platform early Friday morning. “The call was a very good one for both China and the U.S.A. It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together, and starting immediately.”
“We discussed balancing Trade, Fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects,” Trump elaborated. “President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe!”

As restated by Rabbi Yair Hoffman  Introduction and Foundation In introducing the names of the Shevatim and their families who descended to Mitzrayim, the Parshah begins with the words,

President Biden on Friday made history by commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 individuals, marking the highest number of pardons and commutations granted by any U.S. president.
The recipients of Biden’s latest clemency action are predominantly nonviolent drug offenders, whose sentences the president described as excessively harsh compared to penalties under current laws and policies.
“Today’s clemency action provides relief for individuals who received lengthy sentences based on discredited distinctions between crack and powder cocaine, as well as outdated sentencing enhancements for drug crimes,” Biden said in an official statement.

The Supreme Court of the United States delivered a unanimous ruling on Friday, affirming a law that compels the sale of TikTok from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. This decision comes amid efforts by both President Biden and President-elect Donald Trump to halt the divestment process.
All nine justices agreed to mandate that TikTok’s separation from the Beijing-based firm must be completed by January 19. The decision impacts the California-headquartered social media giant, widely popular among Americans.
“There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community,” stated a central portion of the unsigned opinion.

The FBI announced on Thursday that it officially shut down its Office of Diversity and Inclusion last month, a move that coincides with anticipated measures to curtail “woke” initiatives in federal agencies as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office on Monday.
“In recent weeks, the FBI took steps to close the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, effective by December 2024,” an FBI spokesperson confirmed in a statement to The Hill.
The now-defunct office, established in 2012, was originally tasked with fostering diversity and inclusion in the workplace. According to the FBI’s website, its mission was “to provide guidance and implement programs that promote a diverse and inclusive workplace that allows all employees to succeed and advance.”