Hamas freed 12 more hostages, while Israel let 30 more Palestinian prisoners go free on the fifth day of the ceasefire. It is due to end on Wednesday, its sixth day, but negotiators are hoping for another extension.

Word is getting out about how hostage children were treated. The aunt of one child who has been freed says their captors forced them to watch videos of the October 7th massacres and ordered them to stop crying at gunpoint. She also says they also beat the children.

The father of nine-year-old freed hostage Emily Hand says she cries uncontrollably, and her captors made her stay so quiet she can now only whisper.

In Israel, a medical official overseeing freed hostages described the condition and the spirit of the adult females among them. Professor Itai Pessach, the director of Edmond & Lily Safra Children's Hospital, said they were "a group of extraordinary women that endured the hardships of their captivity in a remarkable fashion... some suffered injuries when they were abducted or during their time in captivity, but there's no immediate danger to any of them." (Screengrab image: via CBN News)

Meanwhile, the Biden administration is leaning on Israel to go easier on southern Gaza than it has on the north when fighting resumes. The White House points out millions of Gazans fled south when the Israeli military attacked the north, so there's really nowhere else for those civilians to go. Surveys like AP polling show Americans still back Israel but worry about non-combatants in Gaza.

"The American people are broadly supportive of Israel's right to defend itself. There's also growing concern for the plight of civilians in Gaza," said Associated Press reporter Zeke Miller.

But since Hamas hides out among civilians, that could make it almost impossible for Israel to achieve its goal of destroying Hamas – a goal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told troops fighting in Gaza they must achieve if Israelis are to ever feel safe and secure again.

In another development, Germany and the European Union are freezing funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency or UNRWA. The agency's education programs for millions of Palestinian youth over the years are accused of teaching anti-Semitism and glorifying terrorism in its classroom materials.

A report by the watchdog group UN Watch profiles 118 UNRWA-educated Palestinians who went on to commit terrorist acts against Israel. The same report also shows a number of UNRWA teachers or workers celebrating the October 7th massacres. One said of the brutal attacks, "This is an unforgettable glorious morning."

Israel is fighting back with more than guns, tanks, and jets. There's also prayer. The Knesset, Israel's parliament, was the site of a Wednesday prayer meeting. Many Christians joined their Jewish brothers and sisters to pray. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

Paul Strand: As a freelance reporter for CBN's Jerusalem bureau and during 27 years as senior correspondent in CBN's Washington bureau...

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

Why the New RomCom ‘MERV’ Can Bring You Joy This Christmas

How the 'Heavens Declare the Glory of God': What One Man's Research Has Revealed about The Star of Bethlehem

Over 50 Tren de Aragua Gang Members Imported Under Democrats Indicted in Nebraska in Massive Nationwide ATM Jackpotting Scheme

205 Child Victims Located and Rescued in DOJ Sex Exploitation Op

Trump Admin Pausing All Off Shore Wind Project Construction Due To National Security Concerns

Trump Grants Federal Workers Two Additional Christmas Holidays

America Fest 2025: Erika Kirk Endorses 'My Husband's Friend' JD Vance for President

Brent Bozell Confirmed as US Ambassador to South Africa

Jury Quickly Convicts Judge Who Helped Illegal Migrant Escape ICE

Feds Estimate Somali-Linked Fraud in Walz's Minnesota Could Top $9 Billion

Trump SUSPENDS 'Green Card Lottery' after Program Let Brown University–MIT Shooting Suspect Enter the US

Brown, MIT Shooter Found Dead for Days in NH Storage Unit; Motive Still a Mystery

House Passes Bill to Criminalize Transgender Mutilation of Children

November Inflation Falls to 2.7%, Lower than Expected: 'This Is Good News for Wall Street; It’s Good News for Main Street'

MOVIEGUIDE's Review of the New Animated Film: DAVID

Massachusetts Drops Controversial Gender Ideology Mandate for Licensing Foster Care Parents

Nearly 40% of Women Suffer Severe Grief for Years after Abortion, Miscarriage: Study

Former Pfizer Vice President: COVID Shots Were 'Designed to Cause Injury,' Reduce Fertility

Dutch Sheets Shares a Warning from the US National Counterterrorism Center

Venezuela: Trump's Pressure Campaign and Maduro's Fury