Israel-Hamas (Gaza) War

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Flotilla with Greta Thunberg leaves Barcelona in biggest attempt yet to break Israel’s Gaza blockade

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A flotilla of ships departed from Barcelona to the Gaza Strip Sunday with humanitarian aid and activists on board in the largest attempt yet to break the long Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territory by sea.

https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-palestinians-war-hamas-thunberg-7599488c66456a4f74aed1cadc0cee5d?

Israel kills Hamas spokesperson as security cabinet meets to discuss expanding offensive in Gaza The Israeli military announced Sunday that it killed the longtime spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing, identified as Abu Obeida, the nom de guerre for the person who represented Hamas’ Qassam Brigades. His killing came as Israel’s security cabinet met to discuss the expanding offensive in some of Gaza’s most populated areas. Hamas has not commented on the claim. Read more.

Why this matters: Abu Obeida’s last statement was issued Friday as Israel began the initial stages of the new offensive and declared Gaza City a combat zone. His statement said the militants would do their best to protect living hostages but warned that they would be in areas of fighting. He said the remains of dead hostages would “disappear forever.”   Israel’s military said the spokesperson had been behind the release of videos showing hostages as well as footage of the Hamas-led attack that sparked the war. The military also reiterated a threat against remaining Hamas leaders abroad.   Fewer than 50 hostages remain in Gaza, and Israel believes about 20 are alive. Families protested outside the security cabinet meeting, angry that it was not discussing a ceasefire.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Yemenis mourn the loss of Houthi prime minister, government officials killed by Israel   Macron’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state in September angers Israel and the US   A look at the hostages taken to Gaza, by the numbers

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Top genocide scholars accuse Israel of genocide as strikes across Gaza kill at least 31 Palestinians

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel launched strikes across the Gaza Strip on Monday, killing at least 31 people as it presses ahead with a major offensive in the territory’s largest city, according to health officials. Leading genocide scholars, meanwhile, accused Israel of genocide, allegations the government vehemently rejects.

https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-09-01-2025-0c5b9244186e42ac4673d9bfcd807052?

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Israel strikes high-rise building and threatens to hit more in Gaza City offensive

Israel struck a high-rise building in Gaza City on Friday after an evacuation warning, as the military stepped up operations aimed at seizing control of the famine-stricken city of some 1 million Palestinians. Strikes elsewhere in Gaza City killed at least 27 people, health officials said. Israel said it struck the building because it was used by Hamas for surveillance. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

WATCH: Gaza high-rise building collapses into cloud of smoke AP reporting calls into question why and how Israel attacked a Gaza hospital

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A Houthi drone strikes an Israeli airport in a rare hit as Israel steps up Gaza City attacks A drone fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels breached Israel’s multilayered air defenses on Sunday and slammed into the country’s southern airport, blowing out glass windows, wounding one person and briefly shutting down commercial airspace, the Israeli military said. Read more.

What to know: After Israel’s killing of Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi on Aug. 28, the militants vowed to escalate their attacks targeting Israel and merchant ships navigating the vital Red Sea trade route.   In Gaza City, the Israeli military on Sunday leveled another high-rise tower that housed hundreds of displaced Palestinians and urged people to move south as it intensified its offensive on the city. Israel said the building targeted on Sunday was used by Hamas for intelligence-gathering activities. Hamas denied the accusation.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ BREAKING: Shooting attack at Jerusalem bus stop kills 6   Israeli Supreme Court says Israel deprives Palestinian prisoners of food   WATCH: Israel destroys another high-rise building in Gaza City after order to evacuate Al-Roya Tower

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Israeli strike in Qatar targets Hamas leaders as they weigh Gaza ceasefire proposal DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Israel struck the headquarters of Hamas’ political leadership in Qatar on Tuesday as the group’s top figures gathered to consider a U.S. proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The strike on the territory of a U.S. ally marked a stunning escalation and risked upending talks aimed at winding down the war and freeing hostages. https://apnews.com/article/qatar-explosion-doha-e319dd51b170161372442831a8023db5? Hamas says top leaders survived Israeli strike on Qatar while five lower-ranking members were killed Hamas says its top leaders survived the Israeli strike on Qatar and that five lower-ranking members died. https://apnews.com/live/israel-qatar-hamas-mideast-updates? Gaza

Israel has ordered a complete evacuation of Gaza City, home to around a million Palestinians, ahead of its planned military takeover. "To all residents of Gaza City and all its neighborhoods, from the Old City and Tuffah in the east to the sea in the west. The IDF is determined to defeat Hamas and will operate in the Gaza City area with great force, just as it did throughout the Strip," the Israeli military's Arabic spokesperson said earlier today. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Palestinians to evacuate Gaza City on Monday, saying "this is only the beginning of the intensified ground maneuver in Gaza City." The warning came hours after Israel's military intensified airstrikes on the urban area.   Israeli strike targets Hamas leaders in US-allied Qatar as they weigh Gaza ceasefire proposal Israel launched a strike targeting Hamas’ leadership in Qatar on Tuesday as they considered a U.S. proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The strike on the territory of a U.S. ally marked a stunning escalation and risked upending talks aimed at winding down the war and freeing hostages. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Live updates: Hamas says top leaders survived Israeli strike on Qatar while five lower-ranking members were killed WATCH: White House says Trump believes the Israeli attack on Hamas in Qatar doesn't advance peace WATCH: UN chief reacts after Israel targets Hamas leadership in Qatar

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Israel’s attack on Hamas in Qatar complicates Doha’s mediator role and tests US ties Qatar hosts the biggest U.S. military base in the Middle East. It has evacuated tens of thousands of American citizens from Afghanistan. It has been designated a U.S. “major non-NATO ally.” None of that protected the state from coming under an Israeli aerial attack on Tuesday as it mediated U.S.-backed negotiations to end the Israel-Hamas war. Read more.

Why this matters: Since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel ignited its war in Gaza, the Israeli military has targeted Hamas leaders far afield. But while Tehran and Beirut were seen as fair game, Israel had refrained from striking Hamas’ political office in Qatar, the key mediator and U.S. ally that Israeli leadership relied on as a back channel to the Palestinian militant group.   On Tuesday, Israel made a dangerous gamble, analysts say, poisoning Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks, sending political shock waves through the region and raising doubts about historical U.S. security guarantees for its Gulf Arab allies. It didn’t immediately pay off for Israel: Hamas claims its senior leadership survived the strike.   The apparent U.S. disregard for Qatari security and sovereignty rattled nerves across the sheikhdoms of the Persian Gulf. While Emiratis and Saudis view political Islam as a threat and loathe Hamas, experts say they’d prefer a detente with their weakened rivals to the continuation of an ever-widening war that could trigger strikes on their soil.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Qatar digs through the rubble of Israel’s attack on Hamas leaders in Doha   Trump tries to soothe Qatar after Israeli strikes but stops short for now of decrying another ally   EU commission president seeks sanctions, partial trade suspension against Israel over war in Gaza

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Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ of Gaza hostages release with strike on Doha, Qatar PM says

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “killed any hope” of releasing hostages still held in the Gaza Strip after Israel attacked Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar’s prime minister said ahead of appearing at the United Nations on Thursday.

https://apnews.com/article/qatar-israel-attack-hamas-un-gaza-hostages-16a8e9c4a9757eadeec9ef520c0a1e30?

Israel’s Peace Plan: Assassinate the Ceasefire Negotiators

The Israeli military says it has carried out an assassination attempt on top Hamas leaders in Qatar’s capital, Doha, where multiple explosions have been heard.

https://theintercept.com/2025/09/09/israel-attacks-doha-qatar/?

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Israeli soldiers, and their mothers, increasingly reject calls to return to Gaza

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — As Israel calls up tens of thousands of reservists for its invasion of Gaza City, a growing number of soldiers — and their mothers — are saying no.

https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-soldiers-reservists-refuse-3b0fb328e2691f71332056cd418ffef3?

Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ of Gaza hostages release with strike on Doha, Qatari premier says Qatar's prime minister has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of destroying hopes for hostage releases in Gaza. This follows an Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Doha. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani's comments reflect growing anger among Gulf Arab countries. The attack killed at least six people and has intensified Israel's global isolation. Read more.

Why this matters: Qatar says it is organizing an Arab-Islamic summit next week in Doha to discuss the attack.    Qatar has hosted Hamas' political leadership for years in Doha, in part over a request by the United States to encourage negotiations to end the war that started with Hamas’ assault on Israel nearly two years ago.   The new fears among Gulf Arab countries could undermine U.S. President Donald Trump’s priorities in the region, including ending the war in Gaza and expanding the Abraham Accords which forged ties between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Israeli strike in Qatar targets Hamas leaders as they weigh Gaza ceasefire proposal  Israel's strike on Qatar has infuriated Arab leaders. That bodes ill for Trump's Mideast priorities

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‘We took the gloves off’: ex-IDF chief confirms Gaza casualties over 200,000

A former Israeli army commander, Herzi Halevi, has confirmed that more than 200,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured in the war in Gaza, and that “not once” in the course of the conflict were military operations inhibited by legal advice.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/12/israeli-ex-commander-confirms-palestinian-casualties-are-more-than-200000?

Rubio is in Israel in wake of Qatar attack as Israeli strikes intensify in northern Gaza

JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in Israel on Sunday as its military intensified attacks on northern Gaza, flattening multiple high-rise building and killing at least 13 Palestinians.

https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-09-14-2025-665737776ce05e3496af40676a9bc237?

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?? Israel launches offensive to occupy Gaza City

An Israeli army flare drifts over buildings destroyed during the Israeli ground and air operations in the northern Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel yesterday. Photo: Leo Correa/AP The Israeli military launched its ground offensive to occupy Gaza City, which the Netanyahu government says is aimed at rooting out Hamas, Axios' Barak Ravid reports. Why it matters: The operation is an escalation in the war that has been going on for almost two years and is expected to increase the death toll and exacerbate the humanitarian catastrophe in the enclave. A senior Israel Defense Forces official said IDF ground forces entered Gaza City yesterday and more forces will join them in the coming days. Get the latest.

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Israel’s military says its expanded operation in Gaza City has begun and warns residents to leave The Israeli military began a ground offensive targeting Gaza City on Tuesday, slowly squeezing in on the Palestinian territory’s largest city. Residents still in the city were warned they must leave and head south. The push marks yet another escalation in a conflict that has roiled the Middle East as any potential ceasefire feels even further out of reach despite months of diplomacy. Read more.

What to know: While the military wouldn’t offer a timeline for the offensive, Israeli media outlets suggested it could take months.   While Arab and Muslim nations denounced the strike at a summit Monday, they stopped short of any major action targeting Israel, highlighting the challenge of diplomatically pressuring any change in Israel’s conduct in the grinding Israel-Hamas war. Egypt, however, has begun to escalate its language against Israel, with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi describing Israel as “an enemy” for the first time in years in a fiery speech at the Qatar summit Monday.   Overnight, families of the hostages still being held in Gaza gathered outside of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence, pleading with him to stop the Gaza City operation. Israel believes around 20 of the 48 hostages still held by the militants in Gaza are alive. Hamas has said it will only free remaining hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ UN commission of inquiry joins rising chorus that accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza   Hundreds attend funeral services for 31 Yemeni reporters killed in Israeli airstrikes   Spanish prime minister wants Israel banned from sports events after chaos at cycling race

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?? Israel's costly failure

A week after Israel's missile strikes in Qatar, it's clear not only that the assassination attempt against Hamas leaders failed, but that it backfired, Axios' Barak Ravid writes.

• Why it matters: The strike increased the feeling inside the Trump administration and around the world that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is reckless and has become a destabilizing force in the region.

? How it happened: Israel's plan was to take out several of Hamas' top leaders all at once as they met to discuss President Trump's Gaza peace proposal.

• Five Hamas members were killed, along with a Qatari security officer. But the key targets all survived. The failed attack led to the indefinite suspension of negotiations. Hamas' negotiators went underground, and outraged Qatari mediators suspended their efforts.

Keep reading.

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“They Fear Our Lenses”: Gaza Photojournalists Speak Out

Israel killed six journalists with an airstrike on a press tent in Gaza City last month. Among the dead in the August 10 attack were Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al-Sharif and his colleague, photojournalist Mohammad Nofal.

https://theintercept.com/2025/09/16/gaza-photos-journalists-israel-war/?

Israeli hostages

Hamas has issued its strongest warning about the fate of the remaining Israeli hostages amid Israel's Gaza City offensive. In a message written in Hebrew and addressed to Israel's leadership, Hamas' military wing said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ground incursion in Gaza City means that Israel has lost any chance of getting its hostages out of the territory — dead or alive. Hamas' statement comes as public anger against Netanyahu and his government continues to mount inside Israel, with weekly demonstrations in Tel Aviv demanding an end to the war and a ceasefire reaching a fever pitch.

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Netanyahu asked U.S. to press Egypt on military build up

An Egyptian M60 battle tank and an infantry fighting vehicle near the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip. Photo: Khaled Desouki/AFP via Getty Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the Trump administration to press Egypt to scale down a recent military build-up in the Sinai Peninsula, one U.S. official and two Israeli officials tell Axios' Barak Ravid. Why it matters: Israeli officials say the Egyptian military build-up in Sinai has become another significant point of tension between the countries as the war in Gaza continues. Behind the scenes: During their meeting in Jerusalem on Monday, Netanyahu presented Secretary of State Marco Rubio with a list of activities in Sinai that he claimed were substantial violations by Egypt of its 1979 peace agreement with Israel, for which the U.S. serves as guarantor. Two Israeli officials claimed the Egyptians extended runways at air bases in Sinai so that they could be used by fighter jets, and built underground facilities which Israeli intelligence believes could be used for storing missiles. There's no evidence the Egyptians are actually storing missiles in those facilities, the officials say. But they claim the Egyptians did not provide a reasonable explanation as to their purpose when asked by Israel through diplomatic and military channels. The big picture: Tensions between Israel and Egypt have been rising since the Netanyahu government was formed in late 2022. The Egyptians have grown increasingly worried during Israel's war in Gaza that Netanyahu and his government want to push some or all of the two million Palestinians in Gaza into Sinai. Keep reading.

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Israel Gives Evacuation Orders Before a Bombing. Many Gazan Families Can’t Afford to Leave.

In Gaza, new beginnings never come without a price. Displacement by Israeli bombing and ground invasion forces families to leave behind entire lives: a familiar corner of home, the smell of morning coffee, a notebook holding stories of interrupted lives. These losses are emotional, ripping away the daily artifacts that help remind people who they are.

https://theintercept.com/2025/09/20/israel-gaza-genocide-cost-displacement/?

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As Western nations recognize Palestinian statehood, Palestinians doubt its impact

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinians across the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank welcomed news that a flurry of Western countries have recognized a Palestinian state, while expressing doubt the move will improve their dire circumstances.

https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-gaza-west-bank-statehood-israel-war-3c7b54b1a244cbead04f52abd96677fa?

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Netanyahu hopes to announce the release of all hostages from Gaza ‘in the coming days’

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he hopes to announce the release of all hostages from Gaza “in the coming days,” as Israel and Hamas prepare for indirect talks in Egypt on Monday on a new U.S. plan to end the war.

https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-10-04-2025-b1519189e3f65ee76b468d064c0c4afa?

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Israel halts Gaza strikes

A Palestinian woman sits overlooking a camp for displaced people in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip last week. Photo: Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP via Getty Images The Israeli military has shifted to defensive operations in Gaza after President Trump called on Israel to halt its strikes in the enclave, the IDF said. Why it matters: This is the closest that Israel and Hamas have come to ending the war since the October 7 attacks almost exactly two years ago, Axios' Barak Ravid reports. ? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a halt to the operation to occupy Gaza City and a suspension of airstrikes to "prepare for the immediate implementation of the first phase of the Trump Plan for the immediate release of all hostages," his office said. Keep reading.

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Israel and Hamas prepare for negotiations in Egypt ahead of possible Gaza ceasefire Israel and Hamas prepared for indirect talks in Egypt on Monday, as hopes for a possible ceasefire in Gaza grew after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a hostage release could be announced this week. Read more.

What to know: President Donald Trump has welcomed the Hamas statement accepting some elements of the U.S. peace plan. Israel has said it supported the new U.S. effort. Under the plan, Hamas would release the remaining 48 hostages — about 20 believed to be alive — within three days.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Photos from 2 years of war between Israel and Hamas bear witness to its horrors   Hundreds of thousands march across Europe in support of Palestinians   The only protester still locked up after Trump’s campus crackdown breaks silence: ‘I feel helpless’

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?? ?? Two years of war

Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch; Photos: Getty Images

Exactly two years after Hamas' October 7th attacks, the war in Gaza is closer than ever to its end, and the region will never be the same, Axios' Barak Ravid writes. Why it matters: The war started with the biggest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, and continued with the worst killing and displacement of Palestinians since the Nakba of 1948. Even if President Trump's peace push proves successful, the human tragedy and the geopolitical shifts will be felt for generations. ?️ The big picture: Israel has inflicted enormous blows on its adversaries since Oct. 7, 2023. But its own global standing has dramatically deteriorated. Support for Palestinian rights and statehood has greatly increased, with more than a dozen additional countries recognizing Palestine. But Palestinians in Gaza are displaced and hungry, while Palestinians in the occupied West Bank face repression. In the U.S., the war split the Democratic base in 2024 and sparked campus protests that the Trump administration is now citing to exert pressure on universities. State of play: Nearly 2,000 Israelis have been killed in the war across its various fronts, according to the Israeli government. More than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry. Several thousand more people have been killed in the West Bank, Lebanon, Iran, Syria and Yemen. Israel has bombed eight countries in total since Oct. 7. Out of 255 hostages taken by Hamas, 148 returned alive, and the bodies of 59 were retrieved. Twenty of the remaining 48 hostages are believed to be alive. ? What to watch: All eyes turn to Egypt and the indirect peace talks happening there this week between Israel and Hamas. Keep reading: How the war changed the Middle East forever.

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Israel

It's a somber day in Israel as the country marks two years since Hamas launched its deadly attack on October 7, 2023. The massacre carried out by Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis and took more than 250 people hostage. Hamas and other militant groups still hold 48 hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be alive. October 7 inflicted deep trauma on Israeli communities, with many viewing it as Israel's 9/11. It triggered a brutal retaliation from Israel on Hamas in Gaza, which the enclave's health ministry says has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians — most of them women and children. Talks to end the war will continue in Egypt today as negotiators and mediators work to advance President Donald Trump's proposed ceasefire plan.

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A divided Israel marks 2 years since Oct. 7 attack as war in Gaza grinds on and hostages languish  Thousands of people converged on southern Israel on Tuesday to mourn the dead as the nation marked two years since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack plunged the region into a devastating war, while Israel and Hamas held indirect talks in Egypt. Read more.

What to know: The main memorial is being organized by the bereaved families separate from a ceremony the government will hold on the anniversary next week according to the Hebrew calendar. The split reflects deep divisions over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership, which many blame for the failure to secure a ceasefire that would free the remaining hostages held by the militants.   In the Gaza Strip, where Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed tens of thousands of people and razed entire towns and cities, those who can are fleeing another Israeli invasion of Gaza City while others are sheltering in place.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Photos from 2 years of war between Israel and Hamas bear witness to its horrors   Pro-Palestinian protests held on the 2-year anniversary of Hamas' attack on Israel   How American views on Israel and antisemitism have changed since Oct. 7

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Israel and Hamas agree to part of Trump’s Gaza peace plan, will free hostages and prisoners

WASHINGTON (AP) — Israel and Hamas agreed Wednesday to pause fighting in Gaza so that the remaining hostages there can be freed in the coming days in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, accepting elements of a plan put forward by the Trump administration that would represent the biggest breakthrough in months in the devastating two-year-old war.

https://apnews.com/article/egypt-gaza-talks-kushner-witkoff-israel-hamas-news-10-08-2025-ac80d3ed50ff2a9b4106ab5e13156651?

ps:Trump deserves plenty of credit for this! I pray that it lasts!!

What we covered here

• Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a US-brokered ceasefire framework that will allow for the swift release of all hostages held in Gaza, Israeli withdrawal to an agreed point and the release of some Palestinian prisoners.

https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-hamas-gaza-war-10-08-25?

Gaza Peace Plan Advances

The first step in a phased deal between Hamas and Israel to end the war in the Gaza Strip has been reached, according to President Donald Trump yesterday evening. The announcement comes one day after the second anniversary of an attack by Hamas and other Hamas-led groups that killed nearly 1,200 Israelis. While full details have yet to be released, the deal reportedly follows a 20-point plan from the Trump administration and would see the return of 48 hostages (around 20 of whom are believed to be alive). In exchange, Israeli forces would begin a withdrawal from the 140-square-mile region, with aid beginning to flow to its 2 million residents and Palestinian prisoners returned by Israel. The prisoner release could happen as soon as Monday. An estimated 67,000 Palestinians have been killed during the fighting, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry (the figure does not distinguish between civilians and combatants). See updates on the war here, along with photos.

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Israel and Hamas to free hostages and prisoners after agreeing to first phase of Trump’s peace plan Israel and Hamas agreed to pause fighting in Gaza to free the remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The sides accepted elements of a plan put forward by the Trump administration that Palestinians greeted warily Thursday as a possible breakthrough toward ending the devastating two-year-old war. Read more.

What to know: Under the terms, Hamas intends to release all 20 living hostages in a matter of days, while the Israeli military will begin a withdrawal from the majority of Gaza, people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss details of an agreement that has not fully been made public. In an interview on Fox News, Trump said Hamas will begin releasing hostages “probably” on Monday.   Uncertainty remains about some of the thornier aspects — such as whether and how Hamas will disarm, and who will govern Gaza — but the sides appear closer than they have been in several months to ending a war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, destroyed most of Gaza and triggered other armed conflicts across the Middle East.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Live updates: Israel and Hamas agree to first phase of Gaza peace plan   AP photos show Rubio’s urgent note to Trump before announcement of Mideast peace deal   WATCH: Early reaction to news of a peace deal

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All sides agree: Gaza war is over

"We ended the war in Gaza. ... And I think it's going to be a lasting peace, hopefully an everlasting peace," President Trump said today at a Cabinet meeting.

• Israel's Cabinet is expected to formally approve the agreement today.
• Hamas' leader also declared in a speech today that the war in Gaza has ended and a permanent ceasefire has started.

? What's next: Within 24 hours of approving the agreement, the Israeli military must withdraw its forces to an agreed-upon perimeter. That will likely be completed tomorrow.

• The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt will be reopened.

Within 72 hours of that, Hamas must release all of the remaining hostages. That should be complete by Monday.

Israeli Cabinet approves Trump’s plan for Gaza ceasefire and release of hostages held by Hamas

CAIRO (AP) — Israel’s Cabinet early Friday approved President Donald Trump’s plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of all the remaining hostages held by Hamas, a key step toward ending a ruinous two-year war that has destabilized the Middle East.

https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-hostages-trump-peace-plan-e3d0ce091be56cc29207e566ff1603af?