What went right in 2025: the top 25 good news stories of the year

A fragile deal to end the war in Gaza and return Israeli hostages to their families was signed in October – and is still broadly holding, despite reported violations.   

The war brought immense suffering to millions of Palestinians, created anxiety about the fate of Israeli hostages and threatened to engulf the entire Middle East. October’s deal brought hope, but hurdles remain. 

The next phase requires Israel to further withdraw its troops and for Hamas to disarm as a transitional authority is set up. This will test the commitment of both sides.  

Questions remain over justice, too. In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for the commander-in-chief of Hamas’s military wing, Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Israel’s former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in respect of war crimes. The former has since been killed.

Despite the uncertainties, bereaved families from both sides are uniting to build peace where politics has failed. 

“Once you recognise your joint pain, that you share the same colour of tears, it becomes a completely different story,” Robi Damelin of Parents Circle – Families Forum, a grassroots peace movement, told Positive News.   

Image: Mohammed Ibrahim