Israeli hostages continue to be freed by Hamas

Plus, Toronto's loneliness problem and your chances of catching COVID right now [Get This Offer]( [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on the hostages being released from Gaza, the loneliness of the housing crisis and COVID levels in Ontario. DON’T MISS UJA Federation israel-hamas war [An Israeli family with ties to Toronto was among the hostages released by Hamas]( Ofri Brodutch, the 10-year-old girl who attended an overnight camp in Toronto, is among the hostages Hamas has released since the four-day pause of the war that began Friday. The Palestinian militant group is expected to release a total of 50 hostages, while Israel releases 150 Palestinian prisoners. Camp Gesher told the Star’s Michele Henry that Brodutch, along with her two younger siblings and their mother, have been freed from captivity. [Here’s what we know about the family’s experience with Hamas](. - Context: The temporary ceasefire comes after the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and 13,300 Palestinians, according to officials. - Go deeper: Irregular meals, benches as beds. [As freed hostages return to Israel, these details are emerging](. - Meanwhile: Israel and Hamas are preparing for a fourth hostage-prisoner swap. [Can mediators extend the cease-fire that’s set to expire after today?]( - On the home front: These Toronto law partners are divided over the war. [Here’s how they find common ground](. Steve Russell/he Star cost of living [Toronto has a loneliness problem — and the housing crisis is making it worse]( It’s one of the loneliest places in the country, according to a recent report — a fact lead author Steve Ayer says is exacerbated by the combination of ever-climbing housing costs and the precariousness of today’s real estate market. “That deterioration in affordability really contributes to that ongoing decline in people’s mental health,” he says. Victoria Gibson reports on the [many ways that financial trouble can manifest and how coping with those challenges can eat into social connections](. - Why it matters: The trend of loneliness is “incredibly dangerous,” the report warns. Past research shows isolation can be worse for a person’s mortality than drinking, physical inactivity, obesity or air pollution. - More: When someone is in “survival mode” — working multiple jobs or just trying to hang onto a precarious housing setup — it could feel “virtually impossible” to foster connections with other people, says physician Andrew Boozary, director of social medicine for Toronto’s University Health Network. Canadian Press/Nathan Denette health [Ontario’s COVID wastewater signal has hit a one-year peak]( The province’s wastewater signal and nationwide hospitalizations from COVID-19 have hit one-year highs, suggesting “we have more COVID circulating all across the community than we’ve had at any points in the last year,” an expert explains. That data is a reminder that, even if COVID isn’t resulting in as many ICU admissions or deaths as seen during the worst days of the pandemic, it’s still here and a threat to older Canadians, Kenyon Wallace reports. [Here’s what we know about increasing rates of COVID across the province](. - Wait, what? The coronavirus can still put vulnerable patients in the hospital, or ICU, by acting as a major triggering event for those with underlying conditions, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. - Now what? Health-care professionals recommend the public wear a high-quality mask in crowded indoor settings, use rapid tests as a screening tool when ill and stay home from work or school when sick. Another measure that can help is vaccination against the latest COVID variants. WHAT ELSE Thousands of Ontario Liberals cast ballots for a new leader. [Here’s what comes next](. [Poor Inuit housing is a “direct result of colonialism,”]( a federal housing advocate says. [These troubling times have revealed my Jewish parents were right about hate]( Emma Teitel writes. [The American couple killed in the Rainbow Bridge crash]( were well-known community members. Ontario food banks shattered records in 2022. [Here’s who a new report says was driving the demand](. A police raid left these Toronto housemates terrified. [The man police sought moved out 20 months ago](. Five people, including four teens from the GTA, have died after a [two-vehicle crash near Huntsville, Ont., on Saturday](. Toronto police have charged an 87-year-old man with [sexually assaulting three children between 2003 and 2016](. [Here’s how one family developed a holiday gift-giving tradition that came from their hearts and hands](. No longer qualify for a mortgage on your pre-construction property? [These are your options](. The Toronto Santa Claus Parade has come to town. [Take a look at photos from this weekend’s parade](. Gabby, 25, is debt-free and racking up savings. [But with all the options, where best to stash it?]( POV Richard Lautens/The Star [A chill has crept into Ontario’s health sector when it comes to criticizing Israel’s actions in Gaza.]( CLOSE-UP Nick Kozak/For the Toronto Star RICHMOND HILL: Marjorie Try, who turned 100 on Nov. 8, holds one of the nearly 300 birthday cards she received. [Her granddaughter took to social media to plan an unforgettable surprise](. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_204481). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. BLACK FRIDAY SALE Now only $39.99 for 1 year [Get This Offer]( If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. 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