Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu hopes to announce launch of all hostages from Gaza in coming days

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated he hopes to announce the discharge of all hostages from Gaza “within the coming days,” as Israel and Hamas put together for oblique talks in Egypt on Monday (October 6, 2025) on a brand new U.S. plan to finish the warfare.

In a quick assertion late Saturday (October 4, 2025), Mr. Netanyahu stated he has despatched a delegation to Egypt “to finalise technical particulars,” including that “our objective is to comprise these negotiations to a time-frame of some days.”

But Mr. Netanyahu signalled there wouldn’t be a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, one thing Hamas has lengthy demanded. He stated Israel’s navy will proceed to carry territories it controls in Gaza, and that Hamas shall be disarmed within the plan’s second part, diplomatically “or by way of a navy path by us.”

The Prime Minister spoke after Hamas stated it has accepted some components of the U.S. plan. President Donald Trump welcomed the militant group’s assertion however on Saturday (October 4, 2025) warned that “Hamas should transfer shortly, or else all bets shall be off.”

Mr. Trump additionally ordered Israel to cease bombing Gaza. Some in Gaza City reported a notable easing of Israeli strikes Saturday, although hospital officers stated no less than 22 folks had been killed, together with girls and kids.

Israel’s military stated leaders instructed it to organize for the U.S. plan’s first part. Israel has moved to a defensive-only place in Gaza and won’t actively strike, stated an official who was not authorised to talk to the media on the file.

Still, an Israeli strike on Gaza City’s Tuffah neighbourhood killed no less than 17 and injured 25 others, stated Al-Ahli hospital director Fadel Naim. “The strikes are nonetheless ongoing,” Naim stated. Israel’s navy stated it struck a Hamas member and “regrets any hurt triggered to uninvolved civilians.”

Shifa Hospital director Mohamed Abu Selmiyah earlier Saturday stated Israeli strikes killed 5 Palestinians throughout Gaza City.

Momentum forward of warfare’s anniversary

Mr. Trump seems decided to ship on pledges to finish the warfare and return all hostages forward of the second anniversary on Tuesday of the Hamas assault that sparked it on October 7, 2023. His proposal unveiled earlier this week has widespread worldwide assist. On Friday (October 3, 2025), Mr. Netanyahu’s workplace stated Israel was dedicated to ending the warfare.

Monday’s (October 6, 2025) oblique talks are supposed to put together the way in which for the discharge of hostages from Gaza and Palestinians from Israeli detention, mediator Egypt stated.

A senior Egyptian official stated U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff will journey to Egypt to go the US negotiating group. The talks additionally will focus on maps exhibiting the anticipated withdrawal of Israeli forces from sure areas in Gaza, stated the official who spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of he wasn’t authorised to transient the media.

The official additionally stated Arab mediators are getting ready for a complete dialogue amongst Palestinians aimed toward unifying their place towards Gaza’s future. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Gaza’s second strongest militant group, stated it accepted Hamas’ response after rejecting the plan days earlier.

Progress, however uncertainty forward

Under the plan, Hamas would launch the remaining 48 hostages — round 20 of them believed to be alive — inside three days. It additionally would hand over energy and disarm.

In return, Israel would halt its offensive and withdraw from a lot of Gaza, launch a whole bunch of Palestinian prisoners and permit an inflow of humanitarian assist and eventual reconstruction.

Hamas stated it was keen to launch the hostages and hand over energy to different Palestinians, however that different elements of the plan require additional consultations amongst Palestinians. Its assertion did not deal with the problem of Hamas demilitarizing, a key a part of the plan.

Amir Avivi, a retired Israeli common and chairman of Israel’s Defense and Security Forum, stated whereas Israel can afford to cease firing for just a few days in Gaza so the hostages may be launched, it can resume its offensive if Hamas would not lay down its arms.

Others stated that whereas Hamas suggests a willingness to barter, its place basically stays unchanged. Its rhetoric “simply repackages old demands in softer language,” stated Oded Ailam, a researcher on the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.

Still, two vocal members of the right-wing bloc of Netanyahu’s coalition, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, criticised the plan’s progress however did not threaten to right away go away the federal government.

And some audio system on the weekly rally in Tel Aviv over the warfare expressed a cautious hope not heard for months.

A bunch representing some hostages’ households stated the prospect of seeing family members return “has by no means been nearer.” They appealed to Trump to maintain pushing “with full pressure” and warned that “extremists on either side” will attempt to sabotage the plan.

Meanwhile, protests have erupted throughout Europe calling for the warfare’s finish.

Uncertainty amongst Palestinians

Some Palestinians in Gaza apprehensive that talks will break down once more.

“We need sensible implementation. We desire a truce on the bottom,” stated Sameer Qudeeh in Khan Younis.

“I hope Hamas ends the warfare, as a result of we’re actually drained,” stated Mohammad Shaat in Khan Younis, as anxious Palestinians roamed the shattered streets.

On Saturday (October 3, 2025), Israel’s military warned Palestinians towards attempting to return to Gaza City, calling it a “harmful fight zone.” Two residents there stated that because the morning, Israeli tanks and troops had not superior however artillery shells and airstrikes had been heard.

“We can nonetheless see the quadcopters in all places,” Mohamed al-Nashar stated.

In southern Gaza, the Palestine Red Crescent Society stated its Saraya discipline hospital acquired 10 our bodies and over 70 injured after Israeli strikes on Saturday afternoon.

Gaza’s Health Ministry stated the Palestinian dying toll within the warfare has topped 67,000. The toll jumped after the ministry stated it added greater than 700 names to the checklist whose information had been verified.

The Health Ministry doesn’t say what number of had been civilians or combatants. It says girls and kids make up round half the useless. The ministry is a part of the Hamas-run authorities, and the UN and lots of impartial consultants think about its figures to be probably the most dependable estimate of wartime casualties.