The Times of Israel is liveblogging Wednesday’s events as they happen.
Algeria asks UN Security Council to meet after Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar
Algeria has asked the United Nations Security Council to meet after Israel carried out an attack on Hamas leaders in Qatar, diplomats say.
Algeria requested the 15-member council meet on Wednesday, diplomats say.
Netanyahu phones family of Elizabeth Tsurkov, says ‘great efforts’ were made to secure her release
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls the family of Elizabeth Tsurkov, the Israeli researcher who was kidnapped in Iraq two years ago and freed today, he says in a statement.
“Through teamwork led by Hostage and Missing Persons Coordinator Gal Hirsch, which lasted many long months and after great efforts, we succeeded in bringing about her release,” says Netanyahu.
“This evening I spoke with Emma and Avital her sisters, and in the emotional conversation I told them that all of Israel is happy to see her back home,” he continues.
“We will continue to fight with strength and determination until we bring all of our hostages back home — both the living and the fallen,” he says, referring to the 48 hostages still held in Gaza.
Trump says he ‘feels very badly about location’ of strike targeting Hamas heads, tried to warn Qatar, but it could lead to ‘PEACE’
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump offers somewhat contradicting statements regarding Israel’s strike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar.
On the one hand, Trump writes on Truth Social that the Israeli strike “does not advance Israel or America’s goals.”
“However, eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal,” Trump adds.
“I believe this unfortunate incident could serve as an opportunity for PEACE,” he declares.
Trump says he was tipped off by the US military about the Israeli strike in Doha and immediately directed US special envoy Steve Witkoff to inform Qatar of what was coming — “which he did, however, unfortunately, too late to stop the attack.”
“This [strike] was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me,” the US president stresses.
Trump makes a point of hailing Qatar, saying the Gulf mediator is “working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker peace.”
“I view Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the US, and feel very badly about the location of the attack,” he says.
Trump reiterates his desire to see the release of all hostages and an end to the war “NOW!”
He says he spoke with Netanyahu after the strike and that the prime minister stated that “he wants to make peace.”
Trump adds that he also spoke to the emir and prime minister of Qatar and thanked them for their “support and friendship to our country.”
“I assured them that such a thing will not happen again on their soil,” Trump says, adding that he has also directing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to finalize a defense cooperation agreement with Qatar.
Tel Aviv shares rise to record high after strike on Hamas leaders
Tel Aviv shares rose to new record highs at the end of the trading day following an Israeli airstrike that targeted top leaders of the Hamas terror group in the Qatari capital Doha.
The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange’s benchmark TA-125 index gained 1.7% at the close of trading. The benchmark index has increased more than 32% so far this year.
The TA-35 index of blue-chip companies rose 1.8%. The TA-90 index, which tracks the shares with the highest capitalization not included in the TA-35 index, was up 1.4%, and the TA-Oil and Gas index soared 2.9%.
Family of Elizabeth Tsurkov thanks Trump, US envoy Boehler for ‘personal mission’ to free her from captivity in Iraq
The family of Israeli-Russian student Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was released from captivity in Iraq, gives thanks to US President Trump and his hostage envoy, Adam Boehler, for their efforts that led to her being freed.
“My entire family is incredibly happy. We cannot wait to see Elizabeth and give her all the love we have been waiting to share for 903 days,” Tsurkov’s sister Emma says in a post on X.
“We are so thankful to President Trump and his Special Envoy, Adam Boehler. If Adam had not made my sister’s return his personal mission, I do not know where we would be,” she says.
“We also want to thank Josh Harris and his team at the US Embassy in Baghdad for the support they provided to our sister and the team at the nonprofit Global Reach, who advocated relentlessly for my sister’s safe return,” Emma says.
Details on how the US secured her release were not immediately released.
In May, Arabic media reported that negotiations were in advanced stages between the US and Iraq for the release of Tsurkov in exchange for an IRGC officer and others involved in anti-US terror.
Israeli-Russian graduate student Elizabeth Tsurkov who was kidnapped in Iraq has been freed, Trump says
US President Donald Trump announces that Elizabeth Tsurkov, the Israeli-Russian researcher who was taken hostage in Iraq two years ago, has been freed.
“I am pleased to report that Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Princeton Student, whose sister is an American Citizen, was just released by Kata’ib Hezbollah (MILITANT Hezbollah), and is now safely in the American Embassy in Iraq after being tortured for many months,” Trump posts on Truth Social.
“I will always fight for JUSTICE, and never give up. HAMAS, RELEASE THE HOSTAGES, NOW!”
Tsurkov, who likely entered Iraq on her Russian passport, had traveled to Iraq as part of her doctoral studies at Princeton after previously traveling to the country and other Arab countries in the region.