Tag: Palestinian

Israel Set to Vote While Negotiators Push to Seal Hostage Agreement
President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, October 9, 2025, in Washington, DC, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, right, look on. © AP/Evan Vucci
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt – As the sun rose over the Red Sea resort on Thursday, October 9, 2025, negotiators from Israel and Hamas inked the final draft of the first phase of President Donald Trump’s audacious Gaza peace plan, a hard-fought accord that promises the release of all 48 remaining hostages – 20 believed alive, the rest tragically not – in exchange for a partial Israeli troop withdrawal, a ceasefire, and the freedom of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The breakthrough, sealed after days of grueling indirect talks mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, now awaits Israel’s security cabinet vote later today – a procedural hurdle expected to clear with bipartisan support, despite grumbles from far-right hardliners who fear it’s a concession to terror.
“This is the art of the deal in action – tough, unyielding, and finally delivering results where the Biden crew could only dither,” Trump declared during a White House Cabinet meeting, touting the pact as a “great day for Israel, the Arab world, and America.” With U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on the ground in Egypt, the president – ever the showman – plans a weekend dash to the region for the formal signing, potentially capping it with a Knesset address that could cement his legacy as the ultimate peacemaker. Hostages could start crossing back into Israel as early as Monday, Trump projected, with the living handed off to Red Cross officials and the deceased honored in somber IDF ceremonies – a timeline echoed by Netanyahu’s office and White House insiders.
The deal’s mechanics are as precise as they are pragmatic: Within 24 hours of cabinet approval, the IDF pulls back to lines securing 53% of Gaza – including buffer zones along the Philadelphi Corridor, northern enclaves like Beit Hanoun, and southern strongholds in Rafah and Khan Younis – halting operations in urban cores while maintaining a vise on terror infrastructure. Hamas, in turn, has 72 hours to deliver the captives sans fanfare ceremonies, a concession wrung from the terror group after months of Israeli pressure that decimated its ranks. No victory laps for the kidnappers – just quiet handovers, followed by a joint Israel-U.S.-Qatar-Turkey-Egypt task force hunting the remains of those whose graves Hamas claims ignorance of.
On the prisoner front, Israel commits to freeing 250 lifers – but draws red lines at arch-terrorists like Marwan Barghouti, the Second Intifada mastermind eyeing a Palestinian Authority power grab, and the corpses of Hamas bosses Yahya and Mohammed Sinwar, whose bodies stay buried as war trophies. Another 1,700 Gazans nabbed during IDF ops go free, plus 15 Palestinian bodies per Israeli remains returned – a grim arithmetic underscoring the butcher’s bill of October 7, 2023, when Hamas’s savagery claimed 1,200 lives and sparked a conflict that’s felled over 66,000 in Gaza, per the strip’s Hamas-tallying health ministry.
People react at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on October 9, 2025, following news of the first phase of a new Gaza ceasefire deal that will see the release of all the living captives. © MAYA LEVIN / AFP
Hamas’s chief negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya – surfacing publicly since an Israeli strike in Doha last month claimed his son and aides – struck a defiant tone in Sharm el-Sheikh, insisting on “real guarantees” for a lasting ceasefire before full compliance. “We need assurances this isn’t a trap,” al-Hayya told reporters, echoing Qatar’s Majed al-Ansari’s call for “practical solutions” to implementation snags, like seamless international aid flows and monitoring to avert backsliding. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty painted a rosier picture: Talks are “progressing” toward phase one, blending hostage releases with prisoner swaps and IDF redeployments to “prepare the climate” for peace. Yet, as Reuters notes, the accord’s brevity leaves “unresolved questions” – from Hamas disarmament to Gaza’s post-war governance – that could unravel the fragile truce, much like past efforts torpedoed by Palestinian bad faith.
Netanyahu’s camp, delayed an hour-and-a-half for “sensitive” prisoner list haggling, frames the vote as a slam-dunk, with spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian declaring “victory” in the war’s core aims: Hostages home, Hamas gutted, Gaza neutralized as a threat. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, on Fox News, tempered the triumph: No “end of the war” yet – just a conditional path where Hamas must disarm for full Israeli pullout, and the PA’s reforms are no sure bet for relevance. “We don’t intend to renew the war,” Sa’ar stressed, but a Palestinian state? “No” – skepticism runs deep on Ramallah’s capacity for change.
Trump’s 20-point blueprint – unveiled last week with Netanyahu at his side – envisions a technocratic interim council under a U.S.-chaired “Board of Peace” (Tony Blair eyed for a slot), deradicalizing Gaza into a terror-free zone primed for reconstruction, with aid surging post-ceasefire. Phase two kicks off a day after releases, tackling the big-ticket items: Hamas’s guns for amnesty, no foreign overlords, and a reformed PA eyeing self-determination – but only if it sheds its terror sympathies. Arab pressure, per a Saudi report, has been “unprecedented” on Hamas, with guarantors like Qatar’s prime minister jetting in to seal gaps.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convenes his cabinet on June 18, 2025. © Haim Zach/GPO
Backlash brews on the Israeli right, where firebrands like Itamar Ben-Gvir threaten coalition collapse if Hamas endures, branding any half-measure a “national defeat” and “ticking time bomb.” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich decried it as “fleeing the truth,” a relapse to Oslo-era follies dooming future generations to refight the same battles. Yet, hostage families and opposition heavyweights – from Yair Lapid to Avigdor Lieberman – hail it as a “historic turning point,” their pleas drowning out the ultras: “After two years of anguish, this heals.”
Globally, the vibes are electric. Turkey’s Erdogan pledges monitoring and rebuild muscle, while bipartisan U.S. praise rolls in – Sen. Roger Wicker thanks Trump and Rubio for igniting “hope for lasting peace.” On X, euphoria erupts: “Trump made the impossible happen,” exclaims Eylon Levy amid Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square cheers, as Al Arabiya captures the cautious Palestinian optimism. Even as the Nobel snub stings – decided pre-deal, per The Times of Israel – this is vintage Trump: Bold strokes where faint hearts failed, turning a quagmire into a launchpad for Abraham Accords 2.0.
Skeptics whisper of fragility – Hamas’s history of double-dealing, implementation landmines – but Trump’s playbook has rewritten the rules before. As the cabinet convenes and Trump eyes Air Force One, one verity holds: Peace through strength isn’t a slogan; it’s the deal of the century, unfolding in real time. If phase one sticks, the Middle East – and history – won’t look the same.
October 9, 2025
Israel and Hamas Reach Agreement on Hostage Release, Marking Step Toward Peace
WASHINGTON – In a triumph of American diplomacy and unyielding resolve, President Donald Trump has brokered a historic breakthrough between Israel and Hamas, securing agreement on the first phase of a comprehensive peace plan that promises the release of all remaining hostages held in Gaza and a long-overdue ceasefire in the war-torn enclave. Announced late Wednesday on Truth Social, the deal – hammered out in the sun-baked halls of Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt – stands as a testament to Trump’s deal-making prowess, where previous administrations’ hand-wringing gave way to his bold 20-point blueprint for Middle East stability.
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan,” Trump declared in a midnight post, his words crackling with the optimism of a man who promised – and is delivering – peace through strength. “This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace. All Parties will be treated fairly! This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”
The agreement, set for formal signing in Egypt on Thursday, October 9, 2025, envisions Hamas freeing the estimated 20 living hostages and the remains of over two dozen others – victims of the barbaric October 7, 2023, terror rampage that slaughtered 1,200 Israelis and ignited a conflict that has claimed more than 66,000 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. In exchange, Israel will release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving life sentences, and pull back troops to a pre-agreed line, allowing a surge of humanitarian aid into the devastated strip – a move that pauses the Israeli Defense Forces’ (IDF) operations in Gaza City while preserving Israel’s ironclad right to self-defense.
Some people are just waking up to this, and waiting to find out when a truce might come into effect. © Ronen Zvulun/Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government faces a Thursday cabinet vote to ratify the accord, hailed it as “a great day for Israel” in a Telegram post, pledging to “convene the government tomorrow to approve the agreement and bring all our dear hostages home.” “With the help of the Almighty, together we will continue to achieve all our goals and expand peace with our neighbors,” he added, crediting the IDF’s relentless pressure – not weak-kneed negotiations – for forcing Hamas to the table. Even as hardliners like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich decry the plan as a “tragedy” echoing the failed Oslo Accords, broad swaths of Israel’s political spectrum, from centrist Yair Lapid to nationalist Avigdor Lieberman, have rallied behind it, with hostage families tearfully calling it a “historic turning point” after two years of agony.
Hamas, the Iran-backed terror outfit designated by the U.S. and EU, issued a rare nod to Trump in its Telegram statement, appreciating “the efforts of US President Donald Trump” alongside mediators Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey for “ending the war on Gaza, ensuring the withdrawal of the occupation forces, allowing the entry of aid, and facilitating a prisoner exchange.” Yet, in a reminder of the group’s duplicitous nature, it vowed to “never relinquish our people’s national rights until freedom, independence, and self-determination are achieved,” while urging guarantors to “compel the occupation government to fully implement its obligations.” Qatar’s foreign ministry confirmed the pact covers “all the provisions and implementation mechanisms of the first phase,” with details forthcoming.
President Trump announced the agreement, the Israeli military reminded residents of the Gaza Strip in a statement in Arabic that Israeli troops continued to occupy the territory and that they were still fighting a war. © UGC/Reuters
From the White House, the drama unfolded like a scene from Trump’s reality-TV playbook. During a roundtable on Antifa threats – a nod to the domestic chaos sown by leftist radicals – Secretary of State Marco Rubio slipped the president a note: Deal imminent. “We’re very close to a deal in the Middle East, and they’re going to need me pretty quickly,” Trump quipped to reporters, wrapping up early to greenlight his triumphant Truth Social blast. In a Fox News sit-down with Sean Hannity, Trump eyed Monday for the hostages’ return – “probably” including the deceased’s remains – and floated a trip to Egypt, Israel, and perhaps a Knesset address: “They want me to give a speech at the Knesset and I will definitely do that if they want me to.” “Gaza is going to be a peaceful, much safer place,” he assured, envisioning a “Council of Peace” – chaired by himself, with figures like Tony Blair aboard – to oversee reconstruction and a technocratic interim government, deradicalizing the strip and barring Hamas forever.
Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff, fresh from Cairo huddles, were the on-the-ground architects, building on Trump’s October 3 ultimatum: Release hostages by Sunday or face annihilation. This isn’t the limp diplomacy of Joe Biden’s era, where endless talks yielded endless rockets; it’s Trump channeling Reagan’s “peace through strength,” pausing IDF strikes at his behest to create breathing room while keeping the hammer poised. The plan’s genius: Hamas disarms for amnesty, Gaza demilitarizes under a U.S.-led board, and the Palestinian Authority – reformed – paves a path to statehood, sans terror tunnels or Iranian puppets. “No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return,” the accord stipulates, a humane flourish amid the rubble.
In Tel Aviv, people chanted ‘Nobel prize to Trump’ after the ceasefire deal was confirmed by the US president. © AP
Skeptics like Arab Center’s Yousef Munayyer warn of fragility – thorny issues like full Hamas disarmament and governance loom large – but Trump’s track record, from Abraham Accords to North Korea summits, silences the naysayers. Netanyahu’s far-right allies, like National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, threaten to bolt if Hamas survives, but the premier’s bipartisan buy-in and hostage families’ pleas – “After almost two years of unimaginable anguish, we stand at a historic turning point” – drown out the din. Even Tony Blair, tipped for the peace board, called it “bold and intelligent,” offering “the best chance of ending two years of war, misery and suffering.”
Globally, reactions pour in like applause at a MAGA rally. Bipartisan U.S. leaders, from Rubio to hawks in Congress, hail the “fantastic day”; Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Turkey – key mediators – see a ripple toward broader Arab-Israeli normalization. On X, the buzz is electric: “Trump Secures Israel-Hamas Deal for Hostage Release and Gaza Ceasefire,” posts one aggregator, echoing the sentiment that this is “a great day for the world.”
The war’s toll – Houthi disruptions in the Red Sea, Israeli strikes on Lebanon, U.S. hits on Iran’s nukes – has scarred the region, but Trump’s vision resets the board: A terror-free Gaza as a launchpad for prosperity, not peril. As he eyes Walter Reed Thursday morning before jetting east, one truth endures: In the art of the deal, no one’s better than Donald J. Trump. If this holds, the Nobel whispers won’t be whispers for long.
October 8, 2025
Hamas Releases Disturbing Video of Hostage Digging His Own Grave in Tunnel
Hamas-held hostage Evyatar David is filmed charting his meager food consumption and digging what he says he fears will be his own grave in a tunnel in Gaza, in a Hamas propaganda video that his family cleared for publication on August 2, 2025.
In a harrowing video released Friday by Hamas and approved for publication by his family the following day, Israeli hostage Evyatar David is seen pale, emaciated, and trembling, forced to dig what he fears may be his own grave inside a Gaza tunnel. The shocking footage, combined with desperate pleas from his family and mounting international pressure, has cast renewed urgency on stalled hostage negotiations and raised grave questions about the treatment of captives held by terror groups since the brutal October 7, 2023 massacre.
David, a young Israeli man abducted from the Nova music festival near Re’im during Hamas’s unprecedented assault on southern Israel, appears barely alive in the footage. His ribs protrude through his skin, his eyes are sunken, and his voice is frail. “This is the grave I think I’m going to be buried in,” he says at one point. “Time is running out. You are the only ones who can end this.”
His family, visibly distraught, released a statement on Saturday: “We are forced to witness our dear son and brother Evyatar being deliberately and cynically starved in Hamas’s tunnels in Gaza — a living skeleton buried alive. Our son has only a few days left to live in his current condition.”
David’s footage paints a bleak portrait of conditions in Hamas captivity. In scenes inside a cramped tunnel — barely tall enough for him to stand — David is seen crossing off dates on a makeshift calendar etched into the wall, marking the sparse days when he received food. He describes eating only beans and lentils, sometimes going multiple days without a single meal. At one point, he is handed a small can. “This can is for two days. This whole can is for two days so that I don’t die,” he says with eerie composure.
His voice grows fainter as he states: “I haven’t eaten for a few days in a row. I am in very, very difficult conditions… You can see how thin I am.”
The family has called on President Donald Trump, the Israeli government, and the global community to intervene immediately:
“We are begging the government of Israel, the people of Israel, every nation of the world, and especially President Trump: You must do everything in your power, by any means necessary, to save Evyatar and the rest of the hostages.”
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, sent by President Trump to handle hostage negotiations, addressed hundreds at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on Saturday after the release of the video. “We now need to bring all of them home. We are very close to ending the war,” he said. “No more piecemeal deals. That doesn’t work. And we’ve tried everything.”
Witkoff pledged that hostage recovery is the top priority of the Trump administration:
“This is the most important thing President Trump asked me to work on, and I will work on it until my last breath,” he said. “We will get your children home and hold Hamas responsible for any bad acts on their part.”
He also claimed that the U.S. believes all remaining hostages in Gaza are alive — a powerful message meant to assure families holding out hope.
Deliberate Starvation Campaign?
According to a Channel 12 report, a senior Israeli source confirmed that Hamas is not lacking food, but is intentionally starving the hostages. “We know from testimony of returned hostages and our own intelligence that the captors themselves are well-fed. This is deliberate. It’s psychological warfare.”
Evyatar’s family echoed this sentiment:
“Hamas is using our son as a living experiment in a disgusting hunger campaign. Our Evyatar is being starved for propaganda purposes. There is no limit to the pain the Hamas terror group causes the hostages and the residents of Gaza.”
A Nation in Mourning: “Second Holocaust” and Mass Protest
The chilling footage of David, alongside a similarly disturbing video of hostage Rom Braslavski, ignited anguish across Israel. Hundreds gathered in Hostages Square on Saturday, where families erected a barbed wire protest camp to symbolize their loved ones’ captivity.
“Our children are undergoing a Holocaust,” said Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker. “Jews are becoming skin and bones because of political survival. If we don’t free them now, they won’t survive much longer.”
Anat Angrest, mother of a captive soldier, called the crisis a “complete failure” for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
“My father survived the Holocaust, and now his grandson is living through one — in color, on video. The 2025 Holocaust is being carried out by inaction.”
Hamas’s Narrative vs. Israel’s Defense
Hamas released the videos in conjunction with inflammatory statements blaming Israel for starvation in Gaza. The UN and several humanitarian agencies have expressed concern about hunger in the territory, while Israel has forcefully denied orchestrating any starvation campaign.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) say they have increased humanitarian corridors and implemented 10-hour ceasefires in various regions to allow aid distribution. Still, the Gaza Health Ministry — run by Hamas — claims over 60,000 deaths in the Strip, although this figure cannot be independently verified and includes both fighters and civilians.
Witkoff said Hamas has “expressed willingness to demilitarize,” although the group later issued a statement rejecting the idea:
“We will not disarm as long as the occupation exists,” Hamas declared, while also condemning U.S. efforts to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu faces a fractured government, with far-right members calling for the complete razing of Gaza City and opposing any ceasefire-hostage deal. Critics allege the Prime Minister is delaying resolution for political gain.
In the midst of war, propaganda, and political calculations, Evyatar David’s haunted face, his trembling voice, and his forced shovel scraping the earth beneath him, have cut through the noise. His cry — and that of his family — now echoes across borders:
“This isn’t fiction. This is real.”
August 3, 2025
Israel says it’s pausing fighting in parts of Gaza to allow aid in
© DAWOUD ABU ALKAS/REUTERS
Tel aviv, Israel – Under mounting international pressure, Israel has implemented daily tactical pauses in military operations across select areas of Gaza, establishing designated “safe routes” to facilitate humanitarian aid delivery. The move comes amid escalating reports of a horrific hunger crisis, described by the UN as reaching famine-like levels in parts of the enclave.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed daily pauses from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time in parts of Gaza City, Deir al‑Balah, and Al‑Mawasi. Secure corridors for aid convoys, operating from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., were also introduced, ensuring land-based deliveries can proceed with reduced risk. These measures were coordinated with the UN, WFP, UNICEF, and international aid organizations seeking immediate relief access.
Palestinians at a lentil soup distribution point in Gaza City. © Omar Al-Qattaa/Getty Images
Israel emphasized that while these pauses allow aid to flow, combat operations continue in other areas and it categorically denied accusations that it is using starvation as a weapon—labeling them propaganda.
According to the World Food Programme, over a third of Gaza’s population—some 700,000 people—are going days without food. Approximately 1.25 million face life-threatening hunger (IPC Phase 5). Nearly 100,000 women and children suffer from severe acute malnutrition and require urgent treatment. The Gaza Health Ministry records at least 133 deaths from malnutrition in July alone, including 87 children, as official aid remains insufficient. The WHO reports 21 children under age 5 have already died from starvation and malnutrition-related illnesses in 2025—and malnutrition centers lack supplies. UN staff in Gaza report that many humanitarian workers have fainted from hunger and exhaustion in the last 48 hours. Since May, aid convoys and distribution points—including those run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation—have seen over 1,000 Palestinian deaths in chaotic, often violent crowding and shooting incidents.
© DAWOUD ABU ALKAS/REUTERS
©DAWOUD ABU ALKAS/REUTERS
Despite the new pauses, aid flow remains far below what’s needed:
UN agencies estimate Gaza requires at least 120 aid trucks daily—but only a fraction of that number is entering, leaving relief piles stuck at crossing points in Jordan and Egypt. Aid delivered so far includes limited air-drops, such as airdrops of flour, sugar, and canned foods, plus joint efforts by Jordan and the UAE. Still, those methods are widely criticized as inefficient and.
UN officials and humanitarian leaders described the situation as apocalyptic, warning that the humanitarian pauses are a start—but not a solution: full corridors and sustained access are urgently needed. Some international leaders, including India, have called for a permanent ceasefire and immediate access for relief convoys, branding current conditions a breach of international law. Israeli officials blame UN inefficiency and attribute starvation claims to Hamas propaganda, while maintaining the responsibility for food distribution rests with international agencies—not the IDF.
Hamas fighters are deployed in Rafah ahead of the planned release of two among six Israeli hostages set to be handed over to the Red Cross, Gaza Strip, on February 22, 2025. © AP/Jehad Alshrafi
From the UN’s perspective, this pause is a critical but insufficient step:
“Until we have that stability of assistance, this is going to be really difficult to control the situation on the ground,” WFP’s Ross Smith emphasized, warning that food assistance is currently the only lifeline for Gaza populations facing famine-like conditions.
Israel’s tactical pause in parts of Gaza marks a significant shift—but it’s being overshadowed by the scale of the crisis on the ground. With hunger spreading rapidly and thousands already dead, the measures fall far short of addressing Gaza’s catastrophic needs. Humanitarian leaders caution that only sustained, full access can save lives before famine crosses irreversible thresholds.
July 27, 2025