π️Lonny's War Update- October 725, 2023 - September 30, 2025 π️
π️Day 725 that 48 of our hostages are still in Hamas captivityπ️
Hostage families publish Shehecheyanu prayer after Trump announces Gaza peace plan
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum releases a statement with the Shehecheyanu prayer in response to US President Donald Trump’s announcement that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted his plan to end the war in Gaza and release captives held by Hamas.
“Shehecheyanu ve-kiy’manu ve-higi’anu la-z’man ha-zeh,” the forum writes.
The Shehecheyanu prayer is a Jewish blessing that expresses appreciation for new and special experiences.
White House releases Trump’s ‘Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict’: All hostages to be released within 72 hours, Hamas members committing to peace to be given amnesty
The White House releases US President Donald Trump’s “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict.”Its 20 points are as follows:
1. Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors.
2. Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough.
3. If both sides agree to this proposal, the war will immediately end. Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed upon line to prepare for a hostage release. During this time, all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended, and battle lines will remain frozen until conditions are met for the complete staged withdrawal.
4. Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.
5. Once all hostages are released, Israel will release 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1,700 Gazans who were detained after October 7, 2023, including all women and children detained in that context. For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.
6. Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries.
7. Upon acceptance of this agreement, full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip. At a minimum, aid quantities will be consistent with what was included in the January 19, 2025, agreement regarding humanitarian aid, including rehabilitation of infrastructure (water, electricity, sewage), rehabilitation of hospitals and bakeries, and entry of necessary equipment to remove rubble and open roads.
8. Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions not associated in any manner with either party. Opening the Rafah crossing in both directions will be subject to the same mechanism implemented under the January 19, 2025 agreement.
9. Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the “Board of Peace,” which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other members and heads of State to be announced, including Former Prime Minister Tony Blair. This body will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump’s peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. This body will call on best international standards to create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment.
10. A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energize Gaza will be created by convening a panel of experts who have helped birth some of the thriving modern miracle cities in the Middle East. Many thoughtful investment proposals and exciting development ideas have been crafted by well-meaning international groups, and will be considered to synthesize the security and governance frameworks to attract and facilitate these investments that will create jobs, opportunity, and hope for future Gaza.
11. A special economic zone will be established with preferred tariff and access rates to be negotiated with participating countries.12. No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return. We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.
13. Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form. All military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt. There will be a process of demilitarization of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning, and supported by an internationally funded buy back and reintegration program all verified by the independent monitors. New Gaza will be fully committed to building a prosperous economy and to peaceful coexistence with their neighbors.
14. A guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas, and the factions, comply with their obligations and that New Gaza poses no threat to its neighbors or its people.
15. The United States will work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) to immediately deploy in Gaza. The ISF will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, and will consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field. This force will be the long-term internal security solution. The ISF will work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas, along with newly trained Palestinian police forces. It is critical to prevent munitions from entering Gaza and to facilitate the rapid and secure flow of goods to rebuild and revitalize Gaza. A deconfliction mechanism will be agreed upon by the parties.
16. Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza. As the ISF establishes control and stability, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will withdraw based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed upon between the IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the Unites States, with the objective of a secure Gaza that no longer poses a threat to Israel, Egypt, or its citizens. Practically, the IDF will progressively hand over the Gaza territory it occupies to the ISF according to an agreement they will make with the transitional authority until they are withdrawn completely from Gaza, save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat.
17. In the event Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, the above, including the scaled-up aid operation, will proceed in the terror-free areas handed over from the IDF to the ISF.
18. An interfaith dialogue process will be established based on the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence to try and change mindsets and narratives of Palestinians and Israelis by emphasizing the benefits that can be derived from peace.
19. While Gaza re-development advances and when the PA reform program is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.
20. The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence.
An image is also released showing the IDF’s withdrawal according to the stages of hostage releases.
A map of a proposed withdrawal of IDF troops as part of a deal to end the war in Gaza, published on September 29, 2025. (White House)France says Hamas has ‘no choice’ but to agree to Trump’s Gaza plan; Italy hopes for ‘turning point’
Report: Hamas received the American plan and promised to examine it ‘responsibly’
Qatari channel Al Jazeera reports, citing a diplomatic source, that Qatar and Egypt conveyed to Hamas the White House plan to end the war, and that the Hamas delegation promised to examine the proposal “responsibly.”
Golan, Deri and Ohana welcome Trump’s Gaza proposal; Gotliv says Hamas won’t agree to free hostages
The Democrats chairman Yair Golan, Shas leader Aryeh Deri, and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana (Likud), all welcome US President Donald Trump’s announcement of his Gaza peace proposal in Washington, DC.
Posting a photo of Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a joint press conference on social network X, Ohana writes, “Yes, another league,” referring to a 2019 electoral slogan touting Netanyahu’s warm ties with foreign leaders such as Trump.
In a separate post, Deri expresses his thanks to God “for the success of the summit at the White House” and praises Trump and Netanyahu’s “united stand for Israel’s security.” He expresses hope that the hostages will be returned by next week’s Sukkot holiday.
Golan, a harsh critic of the current government, tweets that his left-wing opposition party will provide the government with support for the plan, a reference to likely opposition within Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition.
“Ending the war, returning the hostages, disarming Hamas, dismantling Hamas’s rule, you’d have to be an absolute hater of Israel to refuse Trump’s plan,” he writes. “We will provide a full safety net for the plan. But we’ll be happy and celebrate only when we see all the hostages back home.”
“What’s the strategy?” asks Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi in a tweet. “Peace through strength, surrender or be destroyed! And of course, a Palestinian state will never be established in the land of our forefathers!”
“The political genius of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has once again proven itself — Netanyahu succeeded in convincing President Trump and the Arab states of the justice of Israel’s path,” declares Economy Minister Nir Barkat.
“I trust Prime Minister Netanyahu that a Palestinian state will never be established,” he adds, thanking Trump as a “true friend.”
Stating that under the plan, the Palestinian Authority “will have no foothold in managing the Strip in any way,” Likud MK Avichay Buaron argues that “this is what absolute victory looks like!” However, fellow Likud lawmaker Tally Gotliv insists that “it is clear as day that the cruel and murderous Hamas will not agree to return all our hostages within 72 hours.”
“Only someone who does not understand the Hamas ethos would believe that Hamas will return all our hostages and agree to the outline,” she writes, adding, “I hope that I am completely wrong this time.” link I have never agreed with Tali Gotlieb before and don't now, either. She is a vile, extremist provocateur who believes that she is above the law and answers to no one. She spent most of her legal career defending rapists. This is the type of person she is. Despite all that, the point she brings up is extremely valid and probably the question that everyone is asking, "why will Hamas agree to give up all the hostages? and Why would they be willing to do so at the beginning of the deal when so many more details have to be worked out? Gotlieb is correct, though in her statement that anyone who understands the Hamas ethos will not believe that they will return all the hostages. Therein lies the rub. What she doesn't know or understand is that there are things that happened in the discussions leading up to the original Trump plan before the attack on Hamas leadership in Qatar. Trump was providing his personal guarantees to Hamas that Israel will not go back to fighting even if the negotiations for the rest of the details of the plan go beyond the 60 day ceasefire. Hamas doesn't trust Trump as they see him correctly as being pro Netanyahu, therefore pro Israel and not working in their favor, so Trump's personal guarantees were to backed up with other factors on the ground that would assure that Israel would not go back to fighting. This point was basically agreed to by Hamas but needed to go to the senior leadership for their consensus agreement. That agreement most likely would have occurred in Doha but they never reached that point because Netanyahu ordered an assassination attack against the entire senior Hamas leadership which failed miserably and scuttled the entire Trump proposal.
Hamas saw Trump's hand in the attack and believed that he set them up for the attack, knowing that they were convening in Doha to discuss and then approve his proposal. As a result, any and all of Trump's guarantees became a much greater problem and needed to be sweetened to get both the Arab States and Hamas on board again. There are additions that have been put in place in the 20 point plan. Some of them will answer Hamas' demands, others will be more problematic, but the relevant points put the release of all of the hostages within the first 72 hours of the deal very much back on the table, as opposed to what Gotlieb believes.Netanyahu says Trump’s Gaza plan ‘achieves our war aims’
Of course Netanyahu is saying this, even if it doesn't. He is already in his next election campaign and it is very different than any campaign he has run before. He is facing the cold hard truth that he bears most of the responsibility for everything that led up to October 7 and for the mismanagement of the war and the hostage crisis. So, from day 2 of the war, when he had his most important meeting for him personally with his political advisors and PR people, he began his rewriting the narrative of the attack, took absolutely no responsibility for anything and began his campaign of placing all blame on the security organizations and their chiefs (The IDF, Shin Bet and Mossad, as well as all of the Intelligence organizations in those security organizations and beyond).
From the beginning, he coined his popular phrase 'complete victory' but deliberately did not define what that meant so it could be totally fluid so he would be the only one who could claim this 'complete victory' when it suited his political needs and survival.
Only in the last months did he and his yes men cabinet determine specific demands to end the war knowing that they were not achievable so he could keep the war going as long as it served his needs.
Netanyahu is now claiming that the Trump plan achieves all of those demands, although it doesn't exactly. There are points in the plan that go very much against demands that Netanyahu has stood on for the entire war and prior to it as well.
The plan calls for the Palestinian Authority to play a very clear and major role in post war Gaza, something that Netanyahu has refused to allow and spoke against it in the Trump/Netanyahu press conference, but it is there in black and white.
The most striking point in the plan is the inclusion of the French-Saudi Proposal which specifically is a proposal for the 2 State Solution, and the statement "conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people". Netanyahu has spent his entire political career preventing even discussion about negotiations towards a Palestinian State/2 State Solution and has done everything possible to make sure it wouldn't see the light of day by his actions and inactions, many of which brought us to October 7. His agreement to the Trump 20 point proposal is a surefire end to his government, unless Netanyahu finds a way to again sabotage as he did the previous less detailed Trump proposal with the attack in Qatar. It is very unlikely that he will as it would infuriate Trump and cause his great embarrassment in front of the entire world. Netanyahu would be burning his relationship with Trump completely. Trump is still the only person, other than his wife, that Netanyahu will not say no to.
Netanyahu is therefore in a predicament and will have to do the best selling job that he has ever done in his life to convince the Israeli public that all war goals have indeed been met and that, despite the agreement, he will never let a Palestinian State come into existence. We will likely see a temporary rise in the polls for Netanyahu as some people will buy his phony rhetoric but those will be temporary gains and the public will be presented with greater truths than the swill that Netanyahu will be selling.
Hardline hostage families approve of Trump’s plan to end warThe Tikva Forum, which represents some hardline families of hostages and fallen soldiers, says it approves of US President Donald Trump’s proposal to end the war and free the captives held by Hamas in Gaza.
“The statements are consistent with our principles and commitment: the return of all the abductees in one stage, the living will return to their families, and the dead will be returned to be buried in Israel,” it says in a statement, adding that the proposal ensures Hamas’s rule over Gaza will end and would no longer pose a threat to Israel.
Senior Hamas official: US Gaza proposal presented at Trump presser leans toward the Israeli sideSenior Hamas official Muhammad Mardawi says in an interview with the Qatari channel Al Jazeera that the Gaza peace plan presented by US President Donald Trump at a press conference “leans toward the Israeli perspective.”
“What was said at the press conference [regarding the plan to end the war] leans toward the Israeli perspective; it is close to what Netanyahu insists on in order to continue the war,” he says.
However, he adds, “we need to receive this plan in written and clear form before we respond to it. The plan must be in the hands of Hamas and the Palestinian organizations.”
He stresses that neither Hamas nor any Palestinian has seen the plan yet. link This statement is not surprising at all. Hamas has always seen that the US always leans towards Israel, especially when we are talking about the Trump/Netanyahu BFF relationship. Despite this, the overall proposal is for the Palestinians in Gaza and not for the benefit of Hamas. Hamas has stated a long time ago that they have no interest in continuing to govern Gaza. They have never been interested in providing municipal services such as garbage collection and health services that don't bring them any benefit. And they especially don't want to deal with the massive headaches of rebuilding Gaza, not when it will be headed by outside sources and they would not be able to benefit at all from that. They do, however want to continue to be the armed security forces in Gaza, but none of the Arab States who will be involved in post war Gaza are prepared for Hamas to continue being in any security position or armed at all. Until now, many of the Gulf States have invested in rebuilding parts of Gaza that had been damaged and destroyed by previous wars with Israel. They are sick and tired of investing in temporary rebuilding that will just be destroyed in the next war. As long as Hamas plays any role in post war Gaza, the Arab States will not invest one dollar in Gaza. They want a permanent rebuilding and a Gaza of growth, not of war and non ending destruction.
So, yes, the agreement seems to be leaning towards Israel but overall, the agreement leans entire to the benefit of the Palestinian people without Hamas.Trump’s team added ‘dramatic changes’ to Gaza proposal after meeting with PM, Dermer — report
US President Donald Trump’s team added “dramatic changes” to his Gaza peace proposal to make it more “realistic” for Israel to accept, after meeting with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a senior official close to the premier tells Channel 12 news.
The official also says, “We know that Hamas will not agree to disarm. They also are not ready to release the hostages in one stage, and are not ready to release everyone if there isn’t an absolute guarantee that the story is over and that there is no war, and even then, there is a doubt if they will stand by their word.” link
Hamas official: We’re ready to release all hostages, living and dead, at end of war; won’t disarmTahir al-Nono, a senior Hamas official, tells the Qatari channel Al-Arabi that the terror group is ready to release hostages upon the end of the war, in response to a question whether Hamas would agree to release all the captives within 48 hours, as reported to be part of the American plan.
“The presence of the prisoners with Hamas is connected to ending the war and the withdrawal of the occupation from the Gaza Strip. Whether this happens in the first days [of the agreement], in the middle, or gradually — this will be part of the discussion. We are ready to release all the prisoners we hold, both the living and the dead. Their presence is temporary until the end of the war and a dignified exchange [of prisoners],” he says.
He adds: “There are prisoners [hostages] who have died, and equipment is required to retrieve their bodies. This takes time, and we have already said this during the negotiations. We are ready to release them all as part of a comprehensive agreement to end the war and secure the withdrawal of the occupation from the Gaza Strip.”
Al-Nono stresses: “Regarding the latest plan — we have not received it, and we are not part of the negotiations on it, neither directly nor indirectly. Once we receive the plan officially and the organization’s leadership studies it, we will announce our clear position.”
Al-Nono adds that Hamas is ready for an agreement with the Palestinian Authority [regarding the day after], saying: “From day one, we have said that we are interested in a technocratic government to rule both Gaza and the West Bank. The problem is not between us and the Authority.”
He reiterates Hamas’s stance that it refuses to disarm: “Our position [Hamas’s] regarding this [disarmament] is clear — armed resistance is the right of the Palestinian people as long as there is occupation. If the Palestinian people are liberated and the Palestinian state is established, then there will be no need for resistance and weapons, and this will be part of the Palestinian entity.” link The wording from the original Trump Proposal has changed regarding the disarming of Hamas. It has become much more stringent in the demand for disarming and destroying all of the terror organization's military infrastructure. It is clear that these demands came from Israel, but I would assume that the Arab State supporting the plan also agreed to the disarmament of Hamas.
Hamas has repeatedly stated that they will refuse to disarm. This is quite clear that they would never give up their weapons to Israel and will never surrender. It goes against everything they stand for and believe in their distorted extremist religious beliefs and the charter of Hamas, which calls for the destruction of Israel. They would rather be killed in their holy war by Israel than give their arms to Israel and be viewed as surrendering to the Zionist entity.
However, as opposed to Netanyahu's demands, the 20 point proposal does not call for them to surrender their arms to Israel but to a new Palestinian government that will be established immediately and supported by a number of the Arab nations. Although, this too goes against their idea of what needs to happen, it will be a palatable solution that ey will find they can live with. They will proclaim that they armed struggle goes on and their partners will help them carry it forward. They will quickly reach the realization, if they haven't already that the war will not end and they will be hunted down if they do not disarm.Arab, Islamic foreign ministers praise Trump’s Gaza plan, say ready to work with US to actualize it
The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, TΓΌrkiye, Qatar, and Egypt issue a joint statement welcoming US President Donald Trump’s “sincere efforts” to end the war in Gaza “and assert their confidence in his ability to find a path to peace.”
“They emphasize the importance of the partnership with the United States in securing peace in the region,” the eight countries’ top diplomats say.
The Arab and Muslim foreign ministers take particular note of the plan’s envisioning of an end to the war, the rebuilding of Gaza, the prevention of the displacement of Palestinians and the advancement of a comprehensive peace process.
They also hail his announcement last week that he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank.
“The ministers affirm their readiness to engage positively and constructively with the United States and the parties toward finalizing the agreement and ensuring its implementation, in a manner that ensures peace, security, and stability for the peoples of the region,” the joint statement says.
“They reaffirm their joint commitment to work with the United States to end the war in Gaza through a comprehensive deal that ensures unrestricted delivery of sufficient humanitarian aid to Gaza, no displacement of the Palestinians, the release of hostages, a security mechanism that guarantees the security of all sides, full Israeli withdrawal, rebuilds Gaza and creates a path for a just peace on the basis of the two state solution, under which Gaza is fully integrated with the West Bank in a Palestinian state in accordance with international law as key to achieving regional stability and security,” the foreign ministers add.
Witkoff says Gaza plan assures Palestinian self-determiniationWASHINGTON — Pressed on whether the US plan for ending the war in Gaza includes assurances for Palestinian self-determination, US special envoy Steve Witkoff responds, “Of course.”
“They just have to prove,” he begins before shifting slightly. “We have to set up success for them… This is a complicated deal to hand off from one government to another,” Witkoff says.
“All of the stakeholders in this…. they want to see it happen. And the president believes it’s going to happen, and is dug in. That’s what really gives me hope. He gets to the finish line,” Witkoff says outside the White House. link Self determination means a Palestinian State, it does not mean an entity such as the Palestinian Authority which came about from Oslo and was only meant to be a temporary structure. This statement by Witkoff and the points in the 20 point proposal are the clearest presentation and support by the American government for a 2 State Solution than has ever been stated before. Following the implementation of this proposal, once agreed upon by Hamas as well, with ending the war and return of all the hostages, the US may end up in the near future coming out in favor of recognition of the State of Palestine, if not officially recognizes it like so many other countries. But this is a critically important step to truly ending and solving the Israel/Palestine 100 year old conflict and put an end to the totally unrealistic 'managing the conflict'. The conflict cannot be managed. History has show us that and October 7th's biggest lesson should be the realization that 'managing the conflict' and keeping 7 million people occupied and oppressed can continue without repercussions and ramifications. Netanyahu, throughout his career has tried to sell us the idea that we will forever have to live by the sword. That is not the statement of a leader. It is the statement of a coward who promotes fear to protect his own political career and position. A real leader will look for the ways for us to stop living by the sword and pave a path towards living in peace.
Some Gazans declare Trump’s Gaza plan a ‘farce’ and ‘unrealistic’; others dare to hopeResidents of war-torn Gaza express skepticism over the latest peace plan unveiled by US President Donald Trump, dismissing it as a farce that fails to end the war.
“It’s clear that this plan is unrealistic,” 39-year-old Ibrahim Joudeh tells AFP from his shelter in the so-called humanitarian zone of Al-Mawasi in south Gaza.
“It’s drafted with conditions that the US and Israel know Hamas will never accept. For us, that means the war and the suffering will continue,” says the computer programmer, originally from the southern city of Rafah, devastated by a military offensive that began in May.
Abu Mazen Nassar, 52, is equally pessimistic and fears that the plan aimed to trick Palestinian terror groups into releasing hostages held in Gaza, and no peace in return.
“This is all manipulation. What does it mean to hand over all the prisoners without official guarantees to end the war?” says Nassar, displaced from his home in north Gaza in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah.
“We as a people will not accept this farce,” he says, adding that “whatever Hamas decides now about the deal, it’s too late.”
“Hamas has lost us and drowned us in the flood it created.”
Some, like Anas Sorour, a 31-year-old street vendor from the south Gazan city of Khan Younis also displaced to Al-Mawasi, dares to hope.
“Despite everything we’ve lived through and lost in this war… I still have hope,” Sorour tells AFP.
“No war lasts forever. This time I am very optimistic, and God willing it will be a moment of joy that makes us forget our pain and our anguish,” he adds.
But others like 29-year-old homemaker Najwa Muslim, can no longer imagine anything changing.
“I haven’t only lost faith in the deal; I’ve lost faith in life”, Muslim tells AFP from central Gaza, where she sought refuge after being displaced from Gaza City, currently under a massive Israeli military offensive.
“If there was a real intention to stop the war, they wouldn’t have waited this long. That’s why I don’t believe any of their words.”
Mohammed al-Beltaji, a 47-year-old from Gaza City, summarizes his view of negotiations to AFP.
“As always, Israel agrees, then Hamas refuses — or the other way around. It’s all a game, and we, the people, are the ones paying the price.” link None of these statements should come as a surprise to anyone. The Gazans are absolutely desperate and have lost any hope of a better future. They lived under the terrible yoke of Hamas who terrorized their own people because they only saw their people as tools for reaching their goal of destroying Israel. The war has brought the desperation to new and unimaginable levels where 2 million people are now refugees and are living in the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today. The war has gone on for 2 years, many of them have been evacuated and displaced as many as 20 times. They have lost everything they have ever had and have witnessed terrible deaths and maiming and their families have totally come apart through deaths, sickness, maiming, starvation, evacuations, fear, and the list goes on. It is difficult for them to believe that an end of the war is in sight and that a better future awaits them. Even if the war does end in the next days or weeks, the idea of a better future is still very far away. Their hopes have been destroyed and their regaining any hope will only come about when the bombings end, when they will be able to attain food and health services and the leadership will change with a government that will be concerned for their welfare and not only with destruction.
Hamas huddling over Trump plan, decision could take days — source
A Palestinian source close to Hamas says the group is reviewing US President Donald Trump’s proposal for ending the Gaza war.
“Hamas has begun a series of consultations within its political and military leaderships, both inside Palestine and abroad,” the source tells AFP on condition of anonymity.
“The discussions could take several days due to the complexities of communication among leadership members and movements, especially after the Israeli aggression in Doha,” the source adds.
Another Palestinian source also confirms that Hamas was examining Trump’s plan.
Report: Hamas leaning toward okaying deal, will present answer tomorrowCBS News reports that Hamas is leaning toward accepting the terms of a US proposal to end the war in Gaza, citing an unnamed source “close to the process.”
According to the report, the terror group’s representatives will present their response to Qatari and Egyptian officials on Wednesday. link This is a very early and preliminary report of Hamas discussions, which are kept very secret. With the changes that Netanyahu was able to push through with Trump, there are a number of points in the plan that Hamas is having a lot of problems swallowing. They are debating the plan very seriously but those changes, in particular make them feel like they are completely surrendering which is the last thing that they are willing to accept. With other wording, it might also appear to be surrender but they would be able to twist the words such that they would claim they are the winners in this deal. Here, there are very few opportunities that enable them to make that claim, which makes getting Hamas' acceptance of the plan that much harder. Hamas is now under great pressure, not only from Egypt and Qatar who have pressured them in the past, but now Turkey is playing a role and they are exerting great pressure for them to accept the deal. It is still too early to get any better understanding of what is going on in that room. There are both the extreme hard liners who don't want to accept any defeat or surrender and there are the more pragmatic Hamas leaders who want the war to end and are more willing to accept a deal that they might not have considered previously. They have stated that they will present their response in a day, but those declarations of a time table for response are always fluid with them. Trump has set a 3-4 day deadline to agree to his plan. He does not say what will happen after those 3-4 days, which is typical of his past threats.
**There is nothing more important than getting them home! NOTHING!**
“I’ve never met them,But I miss them. I’ve never met them,but I think of them every second. I’ve never met them,but they are my family. BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!”
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
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Car-ramming terror suspect also attempted knifing, IDF says
The Palestinian who carried out the terror car-ramming attack at the al-Khader Junction, wounding two teens, also attempted a stabbing at the scene, the IDF says.
The terror suspect, identified by security officials as a resident of the nearby town of Bayt Fajar, was shot by an armed civilian. His condition is unknown.
The IDF says it is blocking roads, encircling Palestinian towns in the area, and carrying out scans following the attack.
The local settlement council in the area says the highway where the incident took place been reopened to traffic.
Teen in serious condition after car-ramming, rescue group says
The Magen David Adom rescue service lowers the number of injured in a suspected West Bank terror car ramming to two, but says one of the victims is a 15-year-old hospitalized in serious condition.
The second victim, 16, is listed in moderate condition, MDA says.
Both have been taken to hospitals in Jerusalem.
Five IDF soldiers seriously hurt in Hamas attack on army camp in Gaza City
Five IDF soldiers, including two officers, were seriously wounded and six others were lightly injured in a Hamas attack on an army encampment in Gaza City earlier today, the military announces.
The incident began at around 5:25 p.m. with a cell of five Hamas operatives infiltrating an army encampment and setting off two explosive devices against a tank of the 7th Armored Brigade’s 82nd Battalion.
Troops at the encampment exchanged fire with the gunmen, killing at least two of them — one by tank shelling and one in a close-quarters gun battle, according to the IDF.
The IDF is now hunting for the three surviving Hamas gunmen who managed to flee the encampment after the attack.
During the incident, a medical officer, a tank officer, and three soldiers of the 82nd Battalion were seriously injured, the IDF says. Six other troops were lightly hurt.
The soldiers were all taken to hospitals and their families were notified.
IDF strike kills Hamas commander who led hostage release ceremonies, participated in Oct. 7
The deputy commander of the Hamas Zeitoun Battalion in Gaza City, who led hostage release ceremonies and participated in the October 7 onslaught, was killed in a recent airstrike, the military and Shin Bet announce.
The Hamas commander, Musa Shaldan, was killed in a strike carried out by the Israeli Air Force last week, according to the IDF.
As a company commander in the Zeitoun Battalion, Shaldan invaded Israel with his forces on October 7, 2023, the IDF says. Additionally, the army says he was one of the leaders of Hamas’s incendiary balloon launches at Israel before the war.
During the war, Shaldan was responsible for the release of hostages from Gaza City, and he was seen leading Hamas’s release ceremonies earlier this year, the military says.
The IDF says that during the war, Shaldan led numerous attacks against Israeli troops — including sniper fire, explosives, and anti-tank fire — while sheltering in “humanitarian compounds.” He was also responsible for Hamas’s fighting positions in Zeitoun.
Previously, Shaldan served as the intelligence chief in the Zeitoun Battalion and a deputy company commander, the army adds.
Troops kill Gaza gunman sneaking up under blanket — IDF
A Hamas gunman who tried to sneak up on an Israeli army position in Gaza City under a blanket earlier today was killed by troops, the military says.
According to the IDF, the operative, armed with an assault rifle, a handgun, and grenades, was identified by troops of the Givati Brigade’s reconnaissance unit approaching their position as he attempted to conceal himself under the blanket.
The troops opened fire on the gunman, killing him. No soldiers were hurt in the incident, the army says.
In recent weeks, there have been repeated attempts by Hamas to raid IDF positions in Gaza. Yesterday, five soldiers were seriously injured in a Hamas attack on a temporary post in Gaza City.
IDF says it thwarted initial Hamas raid on Gaza City post yesterday
Two Hamas gunmen who attempted to infiltrate an army encampment in Gaza City yesterday were killed in a drone strike, the military says, attaching footage of the incident.
The incident took place about an hour before a cell of five Hamas operatives managed to breach the encampment, in an attack that left five soldiers seriously injured. Two of those Hamas gunmen were killed by tank shelling and in a gun battle, according to the IDF.
The military says troops of the Kfir Brigade, operating under the 36th Division, spotted the two armed Hamas operatives approaching the encampment, and directed a drone strike that killed them.
Two other divisions are also operating in Gaza City.
In the past day, the IDF says troops of the 98th Division killed a Hamas cell commander and three other operatives in a strike; and forces of the 162nd Division killed additional operatives in “direct encounters” and by calling in strikes.
Across the Strip, the Israeli Air Force hit over 160 targets over the past day, including Hamas fighters, weapon depots, observation posts, and other infrastructure used by the terror group.
Former Syrian post on Golan Heights to open to tourists for first time after mine-clearing operation
Ein Almin, a former Syrian military post on the Golan Heights, will be open to tourists for the first time over the upcoming Sukkot holiday after an operation to clear the site of mines and unexploded ordnance, the Defense Ministry announces.
The site, abandoned by Syrian forces during the 1967 Six Day War, had been closed off for decades due to safety fears. Spanning 45 dunams (11 acres), the outpost includes trenches, underground bunkers, and 15 above-ground structures once used by Syrian troops.
In preparation for the opening, the authorities cleared the area of more than 600 explosive devices and old weapons, including grenades, mortars, RPGs, and rifles. Visitors will be able to tour the site, view a display of munitions uncovered in recent years, and take part in a mock mine-detection activity.
“Over the course of 13 years of activity, the Israel National Mine Action Authority has cleared more than 45,000 dunams (11,000 acres) of minefields and unexploded ordnance from Dan to Eilat, with the aim of allowing the general public to safely travel in various tourist sites, expand agricultural land, and enable the construction of tens of thousands of industrial and residential buildings,” says head of the authority Shachar Beck.
“We invite the people of Israel to join us this coming Sukkot, to become acquainted firsthand with the work of mine clearance, and to enjoy for the first time in history a site that had been closed to the public for decades,” he adds.
Army says two Hezbollah artillery officers killed in separate strikes
Two Hezbollah operatives responsible for artillery fire, who were advancing attacks against Israel, were killed in airstrikes in Lebanon yesterday, the military says.
According to the IDF, both Muhammad Abbas Sha’shua, who was based in Sohmor in the eastern Beqaa Valley, and Muhammad Hussein Yassin, based in the Beaufort Castle area of southern Lebanon, were involved in rehabilitating the group’s fighting capabilities.
Sha’shua was responsible for Hezbollah’s artillery capabilities in the Sohmor area, and during the fighting last year, had advanced numerous attacks against the Kiryat Shmona area and Golan Heights, the military says.
Yassin, a senior member of Hezbollah’s artillery unit in the Beaufort Castle area — and responsible for attacks last year on Kiryat Shmona and the Galilee Panhandle — was also involved in bringing arms south of the Litani River in contravention of a ceasefire, the IDF says.
The IDF issues footage of the strikes. video
Lebanese authorities reported two people killed in Israeli strikes yesterday, one in a strike on an excavator in Sohmor, and a second person killed in an attack on a water tanker in Nabatiyeh al-Fawqa in south Lebanon.
A third strike injured a person in Aitaroun in southern Lebanon, according to Beirut.
Spain says it will start probing Israeli products originating in West Bank
Spain’s government says it will investigate companies that advertise products or services in the country that originate in the Palestinian territories.
The measure follows the approval of a decree last week that bans the promotion of such goods and services in Spain to prevent firms from benefiting from Israel’s control of areas Palestinians want for a state, the consumer ministry says in a statement.
Consumer Affairs Minister Pablo Bustinduy said earlier this year his office would use “all necessary resources” to ensure no company operating in Spain profits from the occupation.
“No firm should have its balance sheet stained with the blood of the Palestinian people,” the statement quotes him as saying at an event in July. link I applaud this action by Spain and whatever other countries will join the endeavor. As long as this government provides immunity and allows settler terrorists to act with impunity with regard to terror attacks against Palestinians, and as long as this government continues to plow hundreds of millions of dollars into the West Bank settlement movement, stealing Palestinian lands, oppressing the millions of Palestinians who live there, these actions by Spain are the very minimum that should be introduced. More sanctions are needed against settler terrorists, the extremist politicians and all of their supporters and settlers from the West Bank should not be included in any of the easy visa or no visa programs that exists in many countries for Israelis. As our government has released all restraints on settler terrorists and continues to encourage and fund their actions, the rest of the world needs to step in to take action that will hurt the illegal settlement program. With any luck, this government will fall soon or, at least early elections will be declared and this government and its extremists' powers will become a part of our dark history, and law and order will go into effect in the West Bank for the settlers that live there, and an end to the unrestrained and immune settler terrorism.
Outgoing senior IDF commander slams military for not taking responsibility
In a parting speech, Maj. Gen. Nimrod Aloni, who is resigning from the military after some 34 years, slams the IDF for not taking responsibility for its failures on October 7, 2023, and beyond.
Aloni headed the IDF’s Military Colleges and the shadowy Depth Corps. Maj. Gen. Dan Goldfus is taking over the Depth Corps. Last month, Maj. Gen. Dan Noyman took over as head of the Military Colleges from Aloni.
Aloni, at a handover ceremony, says he is “leaving an army in which the concept of responsibility has been trampled and desecrated, and which has lost the confidence to put its failures on the table.”
“Two years ago, we tried to contain our enemies from south and north, thinking that time would do us good, for the economy and growth, and that we could preserve the status quo over time. We were wrong, all of us,” he says.
Aloni, in his parting speech, does not mention the fact that he commanded the Gaza Division between 2020 and 2022, a year before the October 7 onslaught.
The Depth Corps was recently reorganized to be responsible for military operations beyond Israel’s borders, especially within the so-called “second circle,” meaning Iran’s proxies in Yemen, Iraq, and other areas not directly on Israel’s borders.
At the ceremony, Goldfus says the “transformation of the Depth Corps is not the result of an organizational initiative or distant vision, but rather a matter of urgency,” amid the ongoing multifront war.
“Our enemies are learning, strengthening, and changing. The range of fire is extending, and their technological capabilities are expanding. and the threat is not dependent on their geographical proximity,” he says.
Maj. Gen. Dan Goldfus, the incoming head of the Depth Corps, speaks at a handover ceremony, September 29, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)“Just this morning, another Houthi missile was launched toward the State of Israel. The distant threat is near, and it too must be confronted and defeated,” Goldfus says.
Goldfus previously headed the Northern Corps, a relatively junior and dormant role in the General Staff. Before that, he commanded the 98th Division during months of fighting in the Gaza Strip.
Acronyms and Glossary
ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague
IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague
MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp
PA - Palestinian Authority - President Mahmud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen
PMO- Prime Minister's Office
UAV - Unmanned Aerial vehicle, Drone. Could be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, or be weaponized with missiles or contain explosives for 'suicide' explosion mission
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