Oct. 11: Celebration and apprehension at hostage rallies that ‘could be the last’

Top Hamas official confirms hostage handover will begin Monday morning

A top Hamas official tells AFP that the release of the 48 hostages held by Palestinian terrorists in Gaza will begin on Monday morning.

“According to the signed agreement, the prisoner exchange is set to begin on Monday morning as agreed, and there are no new developments on this matter,” Osama Hamdan says in an interview with AFP.

Following the return of the hostages from Gaza, Israel will proceed with the release of about 2,000 Palestinian security prisoners, according to the terms of the first stage of a ceasefire deal signed by the two parties under US mediation.

Hamas has previously said that it will likely have difficulty locating the bodies of some of the deceased hostages within the 72-hour deadline, and Israel is aware of this.

There are believed to be 20 living hostages and 28 who are dead.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Likud lawmakers and Gantz berate crowds at Hostages Square for booing Netanyahu during Witkoff’s speech

Members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition defend the premier after a large crowd gathered at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv tonight booed at the mention of his name during a speech by US special envoy Steve Witkoff in celebration of the hostage deal.

Justice Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Yariv Levin calls the boos “a great disgrace” and “a shameful display of ingratitude toward Prime Minister Netanyahu, who led the State of Israel through one of its most difficult times and achieved the tremendous accomplishments…that include the return of the hostages.”

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, in an apparent reference to the incident, shares a photo of Netanyahu on X, captioned: “Prime Minister of Israel — the toughest job in the world, and the most thankless of all.”

Likud member and chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Boaz Bismuth joins in, saying the premier “doesn’t need people to clap for him; the history books will do it in their place. They will continue to boo, and he will continue to write the chapters that everyone will still learn in the history of the people of Israel.”

Education Minister Yoav Kisch writes: “These extremist fringes do not represent the majority of the people of Israel, who support the agreement and are grateful to those who brought it about — Netanyahu and [Strategic Affairs Minister Ron] Dermer.”

Weighing in from the opposition, Blue and White-National Unity chair Benny Gantz also condemns the booing, writing on X: “I have tremendous appreciation for the general public that comes, week after week, to Hostage Square and to rallies across the country. And I am also part of it. But even when there are differences of opinion, to boo the Prime Minister of Israel, in front of the American government envoy and in the presence of the hostages’ families – that is a mistake.”

“I am certain that these shouts do not represent the majority of the people of Israel, nor the majority of those present in the square,” he says.

Iran says it is open to ‘fair, balanced’ US nuclear proposal

Iran welcomes a potential “fair and balanced” US nuclear proposal, but Tehran has not received any proposal for negotiations, the country’s top diplomat says.

“If we receive a reasonable, balanced, and fair proposal from the Americans for negotiations, we will certainly consider it,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi tells state television.

However, Araghchi says Tehran will not give up its “right to enrich uranium” but can take confidence-building measures regarding “the peaceful nature of its nuclear program.”

“Of course, this is conditional on the other side also taking steps to build trust — by lifting part of the sanctions,” Araghchi says, adding that Tehran and Washington have been exchanging messages through mediators.

Smotrich criticizes Ben Gvir’s ‘childish behavior,’ accuses him of creating crises out of nothing

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who leads the far-right Religious Zionism party, criticizes ultranationalist National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s “childish behavior” in an interview with the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

Asked about his relationship with Ben Gvir, whose Otzma Yehudit party ran together with Religious Zionism on a joint slate during the last elections, Smotrich says that while he appreciates him and the “good things” he has done to the Israel Prison Service, he doesn’t understand “why he has to spoil it with childish behavior.”

“All the leaks from the security discussions, all the briefings, all the knives that he stabs everyone in the back with, the lack of loyalty, humiliating the prime minister — like by bringing him to a vote in the Knesset after surgery,” he says, listing all the instances in which he finds Ben Gvir’s behavior lacking.

“Also, these artificial crises that he creates every time, as if he can’t go without a crisis,” continues Smotrich. “He has to threaten everything, vote against the budget; it’s some kind of permanent ritual.”

‘Days drenched in confusion’: Rachel Goldberg-Polin anticipates both joy and sorrow when hostages, living and dead, are returned

Rachel Goldberg-Polin tells a Jerusalem rally that her knees are buckling as she describes receiving countless messages from parents of both living and dead hostages in recent days, as Israel prepares for their return.

“They know that Jon and I know what it is to get your child home in a bag,” she says.

She says some will always be mourning their loved ones on Simhat Torah, the Jewish holiday that fell two years ago on October 7, 2023, and will always have to remember that for the rest of their lives.

“There is so much pain,” says Goldberg-Polin, adding that these are “days drenched in confusion.”

“There is a time to sob,” she says through tears, quoting the book of Ecclesiastes, which was read this past Shabbat during the Sukkot holiday.

She says she knows the country is desperate to be done with this chapter, “but we are not done yet until they are all home.”

She reminds the crowd that those suffering must be comforted and held by those who are seeing joy, and quotes from the prayer for peace.

IDF says it foiled smuggling attempt on the Egyptian border

The IDF says it foiled an attempted smuggling of contraband from Egypt into Israel earlier this evening.

Two suspects involved in the smuggling, who were identified by troops on the Israeli side of the border, attempted to ram their vehicle into the soldiers, the army says.

The troops opened fire, hitting one of the suspects and detaining the other, according to the IDF. The condition of the suspect who was shot is not detailed.

No soldiers were injured in the incident.

In the past year, there have been frequent attempts to bring weapons and drugs over the Egyptian border using drones.

Sa’ar claims Israel’s military campaign and the failed Doha strike created conditions for Gaza deal

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says that Israel’s “maximal military pressure” on Hamas — including last month’s failed strike targeting Hamas leaders in Doha — helped US President Donald Trump build the leverage needed to gain approval for a deal to bring home the remaining hostages from Gaza.

“Without [Israel’s] maximal military pressure, and without the maximal diplomatic pressure that President Trump built, the deal probably would not have come about,” Sa’ar tells the Kan public broadcaster.

Trump, he says, “built a coalition of Arab and Muslim states that completed the diplomatic pressure and effectively left Hamas with nowhere to go.”

When the interviewer adds that the strike in Doha also likely contributed to that effort, Sa’ar replies, “It helped create that same pressure,” without elaborating.

The strike, which failed to kill any of its targets, briefly derailed negotiations entirely, with Doha refusing to serve as a mediator until Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized to his Qatari counterpart in a phone call from the White House late last month.

“Everyone said, ‘We could have reached this agreement earlier’ — that’s not true,” Sa’ar insists. “For two years, Hamas stuck to a single principle: ‘I’m willing to return the hostages only if you withdraw from the entire Strip.’ But Israel’s continued military pressure ultimately proved it had a breaking point — and that’s a very important lesson. There’s no enemy without a breaking point.”

Addressing whether Israel believes Hamas will uphold the second phase of the agreement, which requires the group to disarm and Gaza to be demilitarized, Sa’ar says Israel has “a very strong guarantor — an American plan with international consensus.”

“We want the plan to succeed,” he adds, while emphasizing that “there are conditions built into it,” and that Israel expects all parties to fully uphold the agreement.

Palestinian Authority deputy to meet with Tony Blair Sunday to discuss post-war Gaza

The deputy head of the Palestinian Authority, Hussein al-Sheikh, tells the Saudi Al-Arabiya news channel that he will meet with former British prime minister Tony Blair in Jordan tomorrow to discuss the “day after” the war in Gaza.

According to the plan presented by the White House, Blair is slated to head the international interim administration that will govern Gaza during the upcoming transitional period.

However, Israel and Hamas have yet to hash out this part of Trump’s plan with negotiators.

‘This could be the last rally for the hostages’: Jon Polin thanks Trump for ‘strong-arming’ leaders into making Gaza deal

Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg Polin, the parents of slain hostage Hersh Goldberg Polin, speak at a rally for the hostages in Jerusalem, on October 11, 2025. (Jessica Steinberg /Times of Israel)

The mood is somber but hopeful at the Jerusalem rally as Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the parents of murdered hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, step onstage to the applause of the crowd.

“You are not alone, we are with you,” call the crowd.

“I don’t truly feel comfortable speaking yet, assuming this is over, but it’s said this could be the last rally for the hostages,” says Polin.

He thanks top IDF negotiator Nitsan Alon, and the IDF soldiers who he says would stop the family in the street to tell them they were fighting to bring the hostages home, as well as those who lost their sons in battle, and the injured soldiers.

He also thanks the medical professionals and educators for navigating the last two years as they did.

He thanks US President Trump for “strong-arming the deal down the throats of the decision makers” in this region, and urges him to continue doing so.

Polin thanks the crowd who refused to be quiet before a broken nation.

“It’s not obvious, and you caused this deal to happen,” says Polin.

He calls for a better, stronger government and leaders with more empathy.

Witkoff said to tell families it may be very difficult to locate some of the bodies of dead hostages

(From left) Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff meet with families of hostages in Tel Aviv on October 11, 2025. (Paulina Patimer / Hostages Families Forum)

US special envoy Steve Witkoff told the families of hostages when he met with them earlier this evening that it could be very hard to locate some of the bodies of dead hostages, Channel 12 reports.

Hamas is obligated under the terms of the deal to return all 48 hostages, living and dead, by Monday. But it has indicated that it may not be able to locate them all within this deadline, and Israel is aware of this.

The families were deeply troubled by Witkoff’s assessment and are pleading for Israel to do everything to return every hostage, the report says.

There are believed to be 20 living hostages and 28 who are dead.

Three Israeli officials told CNN on Wednesday that Hamas might not be able to find all the dead hostages. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has known for months that this is the case, according to the officials.

One official told CNN that seven to nine bodies might not be retrieved, while another put that figure at between 10 and 15. The assessments were based on Israeli intelligence and information coming out of the talks in Egypt, the report said, though there was no way to know the exact figure. The CNN report was not publicly confirmed by Israeli authorities.

Some of the hostages’ families also expressed dismay that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s name was booed by some in Hostages Square when Witkoff praised Netanyahu and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer in his speech for their central roles in securing the hostage-ceasefire deal, Channel 12 says. They said this was inappropriate.

Hostages’ relatives vow to build back better, laud Trump’s ‘leadership with bravery’

Thousands gather at a rally at Tel Aviv's Hostages Square and the streets surrounding it, on October 11, 2025, following the signing of a ceasefire and hostage release deal days earlier. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Ruby Chen, whose soldier son Itay Chen’s body is slated for return in the Gaza ceasefire-hostage deal, says while he is “happy for the hostage families who will hug their loved ones,” he also has “a feeling as though a 20-ton hammer suddenly fell on you, coming to terms with the reality of the loss of a son.”

“That’s the feeling that I and 27 other families of slain [hostages] share with almost 2,000 heroic families who didn’t want to be heroes, whose sacrifice of their loved ones lets an entire nation celebrate today,” he says at Hostages Square, referring to the families of fallen soldiers.

“This time, we won’t let the war end like Protective Edge, when the government of Israel decided it was unnecessary to fight for the slain abducted soldiers who were left behind,” says Chen, referring to the 2014 Gaza war, which ended with the remains of two Israeli soldiers still in Gaza.

The body of one of the slain soldiers, Oron Shaul, was retrieved by Israel earlier this year, while the other, Hadar Goldin, is slated for return in the current deal.

“The quiet that was bought through the non-return of Hadar and Oron led to October 7, and that must not happen again,” he says. “So please… I want to hear you and be sure of your answer — do you promise to fight with me until the last hostage?”

“Yes!” roars the crowd, which is still riled up from the speeches of US President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, and of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump.

“They say success has many fathers while failure is an orphan,” says Itzik Horn, whose son Eitan Horn is also slated to return after his other son Iair, was released in February as part of the last deal

“We’ll find the people responsible for the failure, but what’s certain is that this success has one father — President Trump.”

“I wish we will also have the privilege of leadership with bravery,” he says.

“This is not a happy occasion,” he says. “This is the end of the worst day in the history of the country — Israeli citizens are returning to their land after being abandoned.”

“We’ll pray and promise — never again,” he says. “No more denigration of human life. No more abandonment.”

“The most important thing is that this will not end until the very last of the hostages comes home,” he says.

The square was jam-packed tonight, with far more children in attendance than usual. On the adjacent Shaul HaMelech Street, police moved traffic-blocking trucks farther up the road to clear more space for the crowd overflowing from the square.

There is an air of finality to the whole affair.

As the rally kicks off, an MC leads the regular chants — “the image of victory is the last hostage,” “until they’re back we’re all hostages” and a now past-tense “only the people brought back the hostages” — before thanking the crowd: “Thank you for being with us the entire time.”

The crowd, applauding what it hopes is its last time here, is dotted with Israeli flags, yellow flags signifying the hostages’ cause, and US flags and other tributes to Trump for helping secure the deal.

‘We pray this coming week is one of healing for you all,’ Ivanka Trump says in address at Hostages Square

Ivanka Trump, US President Donald Trump's daughter, speaks at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, on October 11, 2025. (Alon Gilboa/Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)

Following her husband to the microphone in Hostages Square, Ivanka Trump gives a brief address in which she highlights “the strength of every family waiting, praying, and believing… I am in awe by their strengths and conviction in spite of such suffering.”

Speaking on behalf of her father, who is expected here on Monday, she says: “The president wanted me to share, as he has with so many of you personally, that he sees you, he hears you, he stands with you always, always.”

“The return of each hostage is not only a moment of homecoming and relief. It’s a triumph of faith, of courage, and of our shared humanity,” she says. “We pray, and so many people are working so hard, so hard to ensure this coming week is one of healing for you all.”

“God bless you all for standing in solidarity together through this dark chapter,” she concludes. “We’re all praying for Monday and beyond. “

Jared Kushner at Hostages Square: ‘Instead of replicating the barbarism of the enemy, you chose to be exceptional’

Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, speaks at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, on October 11, 2025. (Alon Gilboa/Hostages and Missing Families Forum)

Following Steve Witkoff to address the crowds in Hostages Square, President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner says Witkoff approached “this impossible task with a full heart and with a full commitment. When things got tough and we ran into brick walls, every time that happened, we just said, Let’s make a new plan. Let’s try again.”

Kushner praises the president’s unmatched commitment “to seeing peace, to seeing the hostages return home, to seeing Israel secure and safe, and to seeing the entire Middle East stable and thriving.”

“October 7 for me was a shattering day,” Kushner recalls. “Seeing these horrific barbaric acts shocked me to my core… Since then, my heart has not been complete,” he says, and he felt obligated “to see the hostages come home, to see their families get the closure they deserve, and to end this nightmare. Also, to see the suffering end for the people in Gaza who, for most of them, were experiencing this through no fault of their own, other than being born into a situation that was horrific.”

“We’re not going to celebrate tonight. We’re going to celebrate on Monday,” he says to applause. “I couldn’t be more proud to see the way that the State of Israel and its people have carried themselves through this traumatic, unthinkable, horrific experience. Instead of replicating the barbarism of the enemy, you chose to be exceptional. You chose to stand for the values that you stand for.”

“I couldn’t be prouder to be a friend of Israel, somebody who supports Israel, and somebody who fights very strongly to see Israel survive, succeed, and to achieve its fullest potential,” he says.

Kushner says he has “complete confidence… that what will rise from this trauma will be a level of greatness, a level of achievement, a level of impact on the world, a level of leadership that Israel has never seen.”

“As we close this chapter,” he urges, “let’s learn from the challenges and the pain of the last few years, and let’s do our best to make Israel, to make the region, to make the world as peaceful, to build bridges of understanding, to eliminate hatred in ourselves, hatred for others, and to really lead with love and understanding.”

Finally, he says to cheers, “I just want to thank the amazing soldiers of the IDF. Without their heroism and brilliance and bravery, this deal would not have been possible.”

Anti-Hamas militia leader in Gaza vows to fight the terror group ‘until it is finished’

Hussam al-Astal, the leader of a militia battling Hamas in the Khan Younis area, tells The Times of Israel that despite the ceasefire and the return of Hamas members openly patrolling the streets, his militia will continue fighting them.

“We will fight Hamas until it is finished, not us. We are here and we are not moving,” he says.

“If Hamas were truly present, if it had power, they wouldn’t come out in civilian clothes and masked,” he says, referring to the footage of the operatives returning to the streets published by Hamas-affiliated media over the past day. “They are afraid. Five or ten people came out in one place, filmed themselves, just to show they are around. Why? Because they are finished and they know it.”

In a video he sent to journalists earlier, al-Astal emphasized that all the rumors Hamas has spread about killing members of militias fighting against it are false.

He also urged Gaza residents not to fear Hamas, saying: “There will be no second Hamas.”

Protesters read out names of returning hostages at 100th week of Jerusalem rallies

Protesters attend a rally for the hostages in Jerusalem, on October 11, 2025. (Jessica Steinberg/Times of Israel)

Protesters at the weekly hostages rally in Jerusalem read out the name of each of the hostages, living and dead, and punctuate each name with a call of “Returning!” to mark their upcoming release after 100 weeks of demonstrations.

Yael Engel Lichi, the aunt of Ofir Engel, who was taken hostage from his girlfriend’s house in Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7 and released in November 2023, speaks about those frightening days of his absence.

She also speaks about Yossi Sharabi, the father of Engel’s girlfriend, who was taken hostage and killed after 100 days of captivity, likely as a result of an IDF strike.

“We so hoped we would meet him,” says Engel Lichi. “We’re all waiting for the moment when we see the families hugging, and we will hold those burying their loved ones. We don’t forget anyone.”

Romi Efrat, 24, who was an officer serving in COGAT at the Erez Crossing, speaks about the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and about hostage Tamir Nimrodi.

She recalls gathering the personal items of the soldiers killed or abducted in the attack, and finding a note in Nimrodi’s handwriting that spoke to his soulful spirit, of helping others, of making good friends, of not offending anyone.

“Tamir, there is no day I don’t think about you and the others,” says Efrat. “We can all heal when they are all home.”

Reservist succumbs to wounds sustained in accidental grenade blast in southern Gaza this week

Master Sgt. (res.) Shmuel Gad Rahamim. (Israel Defense Forces)

A reservist soldier who was seriously wounded in an accidental grenade blast in the southern Gaza Strip earlier this week succumbed to his wounds over the weekend, the military announces.

He is named as Master Sgt. (res.) Shmuel Gad Rahamim, 31, of the Southern Brigade’s 7015th Battalion, from Givat Ze’ev.

The incident took place at around 8 a.m. on Tuesday at an IDF post in the Khan Younis area. Inside a room where soldiers were residing and sleeping, a grenade exploded due to unclear circumstances.

Two other reservists were wounded in the incident, including one seriously.

The IDF has established a panel of experts led by a colonel to examine the incident.

Israel loses 5-0 to Norway in World Cup soccer qualifier; hostility to Israel inside and outside stadium

Israel loses 5-0 to Norway in tonight’s World Cup qualifying match in Oslo.

Israel was down 3-0 at halftime, with two own goals scored by Anan Khalaili, and Idan Nachmias. Norway’s Erling Haaland scored the third goal.

Haaland added two more goals in the second half.

Haaland also missed a penalty as Norway cruised to victory and edged closer to qualifying for a first World Cup since 1998.

Norway, who have not played at a major tournament since Euro 2000, now lead Group I with nine points more than second-placed Italy, who have two games in hand and play in Estonia later Saturday. Israel is in third place, and plays in Italy on Tuesday, with only faint hopes of reaching the plays offs for next year’s cup.

The Scandinavians will secure a place at next year’s finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico with a win over the Estonians on Tuesday if Italy fail to defeat either Estonia or Israel in their next two matches.

Manchester City striker Haaland is the leading scorer in European qualifying with 12 goals so far.

Ahead of kick-off, hundreds of people attended an anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian demonstration, chanting “Free Palestine” to protest against Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza. Israel vehemently denies the allegation, and blames Hamas for using Gazans as human shields, and fighting from schools, homes, mosques and hospitals.

Security was tight around the stadium, with police closing several entrances hours before the match started, conducting bag searches, and reducing the number of spectators allowed in.

Inside the stadium, spectators unfurled a large Palestinian flag in the stands, next to a banner reading “Let Children Live,” in protest of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, where a ceasefire came into effect on Friday.

Norway fans spread a huge Palestine 🇵🇸 flag ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Israel 🇮🇱 #WorldCupQualifiers @BabaGol_ pic.twitter.com/fGRcfnPzSG

— Uri Levy (@Levyninho) October 11, 2025

On the other side of the stadium, a small group of fans could be seen waving Israeli flags and sporting other pro-Israel paraphernalia.

There are also supporters for Israel before the crucial match in Oslo.
📸 @shaulig pic.twitter.com/JzAemuHrDC

— BabaGol (@BabaGol_) October 11, 2025

As the match kicked off with both countries’ national anthems, boos and whistles could be heard in parts of the stadium as Israel’s anthem, “Hatikva,” was played.

The head of the Norwegian football association, Lise Klaveness, recently said she was pushing “for Israel to be sanctioned.”

The Norwegian Football Association said it would donate the proceeds from ticket sales for Saturday’s match to Doctors Without Borders.

Footage from Gaza shows masked gunmen, said to be Hamas operatives, shooting man in the street

A Telegram channel run by a Gaza native based in Turkey publishes a video showing armed, masked men shooting a man in the leg in the middle of a street in the Gaza Strip.

According to the channel, the gunmen are Hamas operatives, and the footage was filmed in the western part of the Strip.

During the war, Hamas members have regularly shot Gazans in the legs, accusing them either of collaborating with Israel or of stealing humanitarian aid.

In the past 24 hours, since the ceasefire came into effect, media outlets affiliated with Hamas have released footage of Hamas police forces redeploying in the streets of Gaza.

From the footage, it appears that their numbers are not large, although the BBC reports that some 7,000 have been given mobilization orders.

In the footage, some of the officers appear without uniforms, although all of them are masked.

‘Miracles can happen, the hostages are coming home,’ Witkoff tells Tel Aviv rally; crowd cheers for him and Trump, boos Netanyahu’s name

US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff (center) speaks at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, accompanied by Jared Kushner (L) and Ivanka Trump, on October 11, 2025. (Paulina Patimer/Hostages and Missing Families Forum)

US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff speaks to an adoring crowd at Hostages Square, thanking US President Donald Trump, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Arab and Muslim leaders, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, hostage families and the families themselves for their role in securing the Gaza ceasefire-hostage deal.

As he prepares to speak, the crowd chants “Thank you, Witkoff.” It boos when he mentions Netanyahu, before chanting Trump’s name.

“I dreamed of this night for a long time. This is the most powerful sight,” he begins, estimating that there are more than 100,000 people in the crowd.

“Hearts beating as one, gathered here in Tel Aviv for peace, for unity and for hope in this sacred place we call Hostages Square,” says Witkoff. “I only wish the president was here.”

“We stand here tonight, Jews, Christians, Muslims… United with one shared goal,” he says. “Peace.”

“Tonight we celebrate something extraordinary, a moment that many thought was impossible. Yet here we stand, living proof that when courage meets conviction, miracles can happen. A peace born not out of politics, but out of courage, the courage of those who refuse to give up hope.”

He says he wants “to honor the people of Israel. Your strength, your resilience, your unwavering spirit through unimaginable pain and loss. You have carried the weight of hope on your shoulders for the entire world. You’ve prayed, you’ve persevered, and you’ve shown the world that peace is not weakness. It is the highest form of strength. Through heartbreak and fear, you never let go of the faith. Your courage and endurance inspired the world, and it was your belief, joined with the bold leadership of my friend and President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, that made this piece possible.”

He praises Jared Kushner, standing behind him, saying, “This moment was made possible through the tireless dedication of leaders who would not rest until the world saw what could be achieved. One of them is standing right here with me, Jared Kushner,” he says to cheers.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu…,” he continues before being interrupted by a loud chorus of boos. “Okay, let me just finish my thought,” he says as the boos continue. “I was in the trenches with the prime minister. Believe me, he was a very important part here. The prime minister and his staff, Ron Dermer, have both sacrificed so much for this country and devoted their lives to the service of Israel. Their dedication to the history and destiny of this nation stands out tonight. They’ve given everything, their time, their energy, and their hearts, to building a safer, stronger future for the Jewish people. Their commitment to this country has never wavered.”

Crowds in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square carry a banner, “Nobel President Trump,” on October 11, 2025. (Amir Goldstein / Hostages Families Forum.)

He expresses deep gratitude to President Donald J. Trump, “a man who is a humanitarian through and through, with an indomitable spirit, who once again proved that bold leadership and moral clarity can reshape history and change the world.”

“In the worst of times, he refused to accept the idea that peace in the Middle East was out of reach. He brought together nations once divided by generations of conflict and showed us that shared peace is stronger than shared pain… He showed the world that strength and peace go hand in hand. They are not opposites, they are partners.”

Witkoff continues by paying tributes to Arab and Muslim leaders, “all of whom played a critical and integral role” in the deal, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and the president and emir of Qatar.” The audience cheers.

“Each of those Arab friends and partners of ours, each of them come from nations that chose reconciliation over resentment. Thank you for showing that the future of this region can be built not on the ashes of old hatred, but on the promise of shared hope,” he says.

He also pays tribute to the hostages’ families, who “carried the moral weight of this nation” and whose “courage touched me in ways I have never been touched before in my life.”

“Your courage has moved this world. I say to the families, You have prayed through endless nights and never let the world forget who your loved ones are. And in this way, you honor and you bless them.

To the hostages themselves, our brothers and sisters,” he says, “you are coming home.”

“Your endurance, your endurance, your faith, your will to live have been symbols of the human spirit that cannot ever be broken. Now, as you return to the embrace of your families and your nation, know that all of Israel and the entire world stands ready to welcome you home with open arms and endless love.”

He references those “who have lost children who are not coming home, members of a very terrible club that I’m a member of myself. We remember the heroes and the innocent souls who are no longer with us, those who were taken from us on that terrible, tragic day, October 7, and those who have given their lives since then in defense of freedom and their nation, in defense of this country, Israel, in defense of peace. Their memory is a blessing. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten.”

“This peace is their legacy,” he says. “It is a promise that their lives will not be remembered only in sorrow, but in the hope of a future without fear.

“May God bless the hostages and their families as they return home,” Witkoff concludes. “May God bless the state of Israel. May God bless the United States of America. And may God bless Donald J. Trump, the greatest president the world has ever seen.”

Israel expecting hostages will be released in early hours of Monday morning

Red Cross vehicles carrying American-Israeli hostage and soldier Edan Alexander after Hamas handed him over in the Gaza Strip, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

The release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza is expected to take place in the early hours of Monday morning, Channel 12 reports, citing Israeli officials.

If conditions permit, the releases could begin as early as Sunday night, Channel 12 adds, noting that under the terms of the agreement, all hostages must be returned by 12:30 p.m. on Monday.

A senior Israeli official tells the Hebrew network that “not all timing details are clear to Israel,” adding that the uncertainty appears to be due to logistical preparations on Hamas’s side and not to intentional stalling by the terror group. The official adds that the exact hour will likely only be known a few hours before the release begins.

Talks are ongoing with the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is set to coordinate the transfer, the report adds. The releases are expected to take place either through a simultaneous evacuation of hostages from several locations across Gaza or through the transfer of all living hostages from a single collection point, in line with the agreement’s wording, according to Channel 12.

According to Channel 13, Israeli officials currently assess that Hamas prefers to concentrate all hostages at one location ahead of their release.

Smotrich claims officials delayed sending troops south on Oct. 7 because they thought invasion was ‘deception’ to allow Hezbollah assault up north

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich claims in an interview with the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper that the government and the IDF delayed sending troops to southern Israel by several hours on October 7, 2023, because they thought that the Hamas invasion might be a distraction intended to draw troops away from northern Israel, leaving the border vulnerable to a simultaneous Hezbollah invasion.

He recalls that between “11 a.m. and 12 p.m.” on October 7, he sat on the phone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former defense minister Yoav Gallant, and ex-IDF chief Herzi Halevi, debating whether or not to send forces down south, where civilians were being slaughtered by invading terrorists.

“We still didn’t know if the catastrophe in the south was just a deception created by Hamas so that we would send all the forces south, and then Hezbollah would attack us from the north,” he says. “That’s why we waited a moment, and only when intelligence arrived and we realized it wasn’t coordinated, did we send the forces south.”

He says they “weren’t aware of the scope” of the assault, in which dozens of communities were invaded and destroyed, some 1,200 people — mostly civilians — were killed, and 251 were taken hostage.

Still, he says god “did us a favor” with the October 7 attack, as it “woke us up” to the threat on the other side of the Gaza border “after many years of being asleep.”

Senior Hamas official storms out of interview after confronted over group’s vow that Oct. 7 would ‘liberate Palestine’

Senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk stormed out of an interview with the pan-Arab al-Ghad channel earlier today after being questioned about the impact of the October 7, 2023, invasion and massacre on the people of Gaza.

The interviewer notes that Hamas “said October 7 would liberate Palestine,” to which Abu Marzouk retorts that it’s “illogical that 1,500 fighters would liberate Palestine.”

“Ask respectful questions,” he demands, to which the interviewer responds that he was “asking the question of the Palestinian street, the question of the Gaza Strip.”

Refusing to answer the question, Abu Marzouk instead demands to end the broadcast and cuts the interview short.

After the Hamas official has stormed off, the host remarks that the display “unfortunately reflects Hamas’s way of thinking and its evasion of answers and questions regarding the nature of the current phase, in light of the destruction of the Palestinian people.”

למי שפספס: מוסא אבו מרזוק מחמאס נוטש בזעם ראיון בערוץ אל-רד:
מגיש: אמרתם שה-7.10 ישחרר את פלסטין
אבו מרזוק: זה לא הגיוני ש-1,500 לוחמים ישחררו את פלסטין, תשאל שאלות מכובדות
מ: אני שואל את שאלת הרחוב הפלסטיני
המגיש אחרי הנטישה: זה משקף לצערי את המחשבה של חמאס והבריחה מתשובות pic.twitter.com/QkLhKxBLYx

— Nurit Yohanan (@nurityohanan) October 11, 2025

Hamas official expects ‘difficulties’ in negotiations on second phase of Trump’s Gaza plan

The proposal for Hamas members to leave the Gaza Strip under US President Donald Trump’s peace plan is “absurd,” a senior official from the Palestinian terror group tells AFP.

“Talk about expelling Palestinians, whether they’re Hamas members or not, from their land is absurd and nonsense,” political bureau member Hossam Badran says in an interview.

Badran, who is originally from Nablus in the West Bank, resides in Qatar, as do many of Hamas’s senior politburo officials.

He says he expects negotiations over the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan to be tough, as it “contains many complexities and difficulties.”

Badran adds that while Hamas hopes it will not return to war, it will be ready to return to fighting if the plan unravels and hostilities with Israel resume.

“We hope that we will not return to (war), but our Palestinian people and the resistance force will undoubtedly confront and use all their capabilities to repel this aggression if this battle is imposed,” he says.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Witkoff enters Hostages Square as rally starts

US envoy Steve Witkoff enters Hostages Square, October 11, 2025 (Youtube screenshot)

Steve Witkoff waves to the crowds as he enters Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, where he is soon to address a rally organized by the Hostages Families Forum.

Trump’s visit to Israel expected to be just 4 hours long, will include meeting with PM, hostage families

US President Donald Trump’s expected visit on Monday will last about four hours and include meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and families of Israeli hostages, as well as the president’s Knesset address, according to Channel 12.

Trump is expected to land in Israel at 9:20 a.m. on Monday and depart at 1:00 p.m., the network reports, citing an unsourced schedule.

Upon arrival, a brief ceremony will be held at Ben Gurion Airport before Trump proceeds to the Knesset, where he is reportedly scheduled to deliver an address to the plenum at 11:00 a.m.

Prior to his speech, Trump will meet with Netanyahu in the premier’s Knesset office. The two leaders will then meet with families of hostages in the Knesset’s Chagall Hall, according to the network.

Zamir, Witkoff, and CENTCOM chief ‘conducted a field tour’ in Gaza, met with senior commanders, IDF says

L-R: CENTCOM chief Adm. Brad Cooper, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Jared Kushner, and US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff are seen at an IDF base in the Gaza Strip, October 11, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF issues a statement on Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir’s visit to the Gaza Strip today with US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, CENTCOM chief Adm. Brad Cooper, and Jared Kushner, alongside other Israeli generals.

The military says Zamir and the US officials “conducted a field tour” in Gaza, and afterward visited a facility at the Re’im base where returning hostages will undergo initial health assessments following their release by Hamas.

Zamir and Cooper later held a meeting with senior IDF commanders, “during which they discussed the operational situation across the near and distant arenas and the IDF’s preparations along the updated lines in the Gaza Strip, in accordance with the framework of the ceasefire agreement and the return of the hostages,” the military says.

“As part of the ongoing coordination efforts, the IDF remains in continuous contact with the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) for the planning and implementation of the agreement, in a manner that ensures the continued security of the State of Israel,” the statement continues, adding that “this meeting serves as another reinforcement of the close, strategic and operational relationship between the IDF and the US military.”

Israel losing 3-0 to Norway at half-time in World Cup soccer qualifier

Israel is losing 3-0 at half-time in the World Cup qualifying match it is playing against Norway in Oslo.

Norway’s scorers in the game are Anan Khalaili (own goal), Erling Haaland and Idan Nachmias (own goal).

Palestinian prisoner due to be released in deal attacks female prison guard

A Palestinian security prisoner due to be freed and deported as part of a hostage and ceasefire deal attacked a female guard today, prison officials say.

He attacked her while being processed for deportation in southern Israel’s Ketziot Prison. The guard was treated for her injuries on the spot.

The prisoner was subdued by other guards and detained for interrogation by police, the Israel Prison Service adds.

Report: Hamas has mobilized 7,000 members of internal security force to ‘cleanse’ Gaza of ‘collaborators’

As part of Hamas’ efforts to reassert dominance over the war-torn Gaza Strip, the terror group has deployed some 7,000 members of its internal security forces to areas that the IDF has pulled back from under the terms of the ceasefire, the BBC reports.

Some members of Hamas’s internal security forces had been seen in footage released by Hamas-affiliated media yesterday, although only a handful were pictured, and it was not clear if they had been deployed beyond the area they were photographed in.

According to the BBC, Hamas mobilized its security forces via phone calls and texts, informing its operatives that they were required to “cleanse Gaza of outlaws and collaborators with Israel” and to report for duty within 24 hours.

The report says the terror group has also appointed five new governors across Gaza, all of them with experience in the terror group’s armed wing, including brigade commanders, rather than its political wing.

An unnamed Hamas official tells the BBC that the terror group “cannot leave Gaza at the mercy of thieves and militias backed by the Israeli occupation,” but declines to confirm whether the reports of the internal security forces being mobilized are correct.

Applause at packed Hostages Square as Witkoff, Kushner meet with families ahead of rally

Families of hostages held in Gaza seen on the stage at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on October 11, 2025, holding posters of their loved ones, who are expected to return home in the coming two days. (Shai Hazan / Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his wife, Ivanka Trump, are greeted by applause from Hostages Square in Tel Aviv as they enter the Beit Ariella public library to meet with the families of hostages.

Witkoff and Kushner played key roles in securing the hostage release deal and ceasefire in Gaza.

Witkoff is expected to speak at Hostages Square at 8:20 p.m. and thousands of people have crowded into the Square in anticipation. A tight press gaggle surrounds the library’s front door, waiting for him to reappear.

Israel vs. Norway World Cup qualifier kicks off in Oslo amid large anti-Israel protests

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protesters are demonstrating outside Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo, as Israel and Norway face off in a World Cup qualifier match.

Ahead of the game, protesters marched toward the stadium with Palestinian flags and flares, vowing to continue until kickoff as nearby buildings displayed pro-Palestinian banners hanging from balconies.

Security is tight around the stadium, with police closing several entrances hours before the match started, conducting bag searches, and reducing the number of spectators allowed in.

Inside the stadium, spectators have unfurled a large Palestinian flag in the stands, next to a banner reading “Let Children Live,” in protest of Israel’s war in Gaza, where a ceasefire came into effect on Friday.

Norway fans spread a huge Palestine 🇵🇸 flag ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Israel 🇮🇱 #WorldCupQualifiers @BabaGol_ pic.twitter.com/fGRcfnPzSG

— Uri Levy (@Levyninho) October 11, 2025

On the other side of the stadium, a small group of fans could be seen waving Israeli flags and sporting other pro-Israel paraphernalia.

There are also supporters for Israel before the crucial match in Oslo.
???? @shaulig pic.twitter.com/JzAemuHrDC

— BabaGol (@BabaGol_) October 11, 2025

As the match kicked off with both countries’ national anthems, boos and whistles could be heard in parts of the stadium as Israel’s anthem, “Hatikva,” was played.

The Norwegian Football Association has previously said it will donate the proceeds from ticket sales for Saturday’s match to Doctors Without Borders.

Witkoff to give 1st speech at tonight’s Hostages Square rally, alongside Kushner

US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, right, and Jared Kushner arrive before President Donald Trump holds a news conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at which Trump unveiled a plan to end the war in Gaza, in the State Dining Room of the White House, September 29, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

US President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff will be the first speaker at tonight’s mass rally at Hostages Square, alongside Jared Kushner, the Hostage and Missing Families Forum announces.

They are set to first meet with the families of hostages.

Witkoff and Kushner spearheaded the negotiations that secured the first phase of the deal, which will see the 48 hostages freed.

Tens of thousands are expected to attend tonight’s event in Tel Aviv.

The square is fast filling up.

Macron heading to Egypt on Monday to back Gaza ceasefire-hostage deal

French President Emmanuel Macron attends a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Toulon, southern France, August 29, 2025. (Manon Cruz/Pool via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Egypt on Monday to back the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal brokered by the United States, and to discuss implementation of its next phases, the Elysee Palace says.

The French presidency does not say whether Macron will be meeting with US President Donald Trump, who will also be in Egypt on Monday.

Hostage families: ‘We will continue to fight until they are all home, our hearts are with the bereaved’

EInav Zanguaker (C) and other relatives of hostage hold a press conference at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on October 11, 2025. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Einav Zangaukar, the mother of hostage Matan, gives a statement on behalf of the hostage families ahead of tonight’s mass rally in Tel Aviv, saying that they will not stop the fight until all of the hostages are home.

Hamas has said there may be difficulties in locating the bodies of all the dead hostages.

“This is the 763rd day that our loved ones have been held captive by Hamas, but soon they will be returned to us,” says Zanguaker. “My excitement is immense. Together with me, the entire Israeli people want the hostages home and look forward to seeing them all return.”

“For 763 days, we were forced to take to the streets, cry out and fight for the most basic thing. This is something that should be taken for granted — mutual responsibility and solidarity,” she says.

“The struggle is not over yet,” she says. “We do not forget for a moment the heavy price paid by the Israeli people. Almost 2,000 have been murdered and have fallen since October 7. I would like to send a big hug from here to all the bereaved families. Our hearts are with you forever, and our gratitude goes out to all the soldiers.”

“Hell will not end until everyone is home, until the last of the hostage men and women,” she says. “Until that happens, we will continue to fight with them and by their side. Their pain is with us every second.”

The families give the statement as crowds begin to gather in the Tel Aviv square, with tens of thousands expected to attend tonight’s rally.

Over 500,000 people returned to Gaza City since ceasefire, Hamas authorities say

Displaced Palestinians ride on trucks loaded with belongings and wave Egyptian and Palestinian flags as they travel along the coastal road near Wadi Gaza in the central Gaza Strip, moving toward Gaza City, Oct. 11, 2025 (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Gaza’s civil defense agency says more than 500,000 people have returned to Gaza City since the first phase of a ceasefire took effect the previous day.

“More than half a million people have returned to Gaza (City) since yesterday,” says Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for the civil defense, a rescue service operating under Hamas authority.

Images show the Palestinians returning to Gaza City, many of them waving Palestinian and Egyptian flags.

‘We did it, thanks to you’: Hostage families call on Israelis to join them for tonight’s rally

Celebrations at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv as negotiators reach a deal to secure the release of all hostages from Gaza. October 9, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/FLASH90)

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum calls on the Israeli public to join them for tonight’s rally in Tel Aviv ahead of the expected release of their loved ones.

“Come join us in Hostages Square at 8:15 p.m.  tonight,” the forum says. “We did it, thanks to you.”

In accordance with the first phase of the newly signed ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, the terror group is set to free the remaining 48 hostages — some 20 living, at least 26 thought to be dead — by Monday.

Palestinian prisoners moved to other facilities overnight ahead of their release under Gaza deal

Thousands of security personnel transferred Palestinian security prisoners to other prisons ahead of their release as part of the ceasefire deal with Hamas, the Israel Prison Service says in a statement.

Officers transferred the prisoners, who will be exchanged for hostages held by Hamas and other terror groups in Gaza, to the Ofer and Ketziot prisons, according to the government’s instructions, the prison service says.

Tens of thousands of anti-Israel protesters march in London, day after ceasefire takes effect

Pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protesters hold placards and wave flags in central London, on October 11, 2025. (HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP)

Tens of thousands are reported to attend an anti-Israel, pro-Palestine protest in London, a day after a ceasefire takes effect in Gaza.

Marchers chant, “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” “Keir Starmer you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide,” and wave Palestinian flags as they walk across the Westminster Bridge to Whitehall.

A counter rally organized by the Stop The Hate group is also held, with counterprotesters waving Israeli flags and blaring loud music.

London police say after counterprotesters breached the rules of their rally, officers intervened to separate the two groups, and a “small number” of people were arrested.

Biden undergoing radiation therapy for cancer, US media reports

Former US president Joe Biden speaks at the National Bar Association's annual convention on July 31, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (SCOTT OLSON / Getty Images via AFP)

Former US president Joe Biden is receiving radiation therapy for his prostate cancer diagnosed in May, NBC News reports, citing a spokesperson for the former president.

“As part of a treatment plan for prostate cancer, President Biden is currently undergoing radiation therapy and hormone treatment,” NBC News quotes a spokesperson for Biden as saying.

Witkoff to speak at Hostages Square this evening, reports say

US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff will address the weekly rally at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv this evening, after mediating the ceasefire-hostage release deal that went into effect this week, Hebrew media outlets report.

Intercepted memo by Yahya Sinwar reveals Hamas’s intentions to ‘burn’ kibbutzim, broadcast atrocities — report

A burned home in Kibbutz Be'eri after the deadly assault by Hamas, seen on October 11, 2023. (Lazar Berman/Times of Israel)

A six-page memo believed to have been written by slain Gaza ruler and October 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar details Hamas’s plans to target civilians during the massacre and broadcast the atrocities live, The New York Times reports.

The document was found in May 2025, after the IDF raided an underground complex used by Sinwar’s brother and successor, Muhammed Sinwar, after he was assassinated.

The army says the latter Sinwar was killed in a tunnel at the European Hospital, where Hamas operated a command center.

The memo, from August 24, 2022, “appears to be a directive from Mr. Sinwar with instructions for the [October 7] assault,” seven Israeli officials told the Times. It ordered terrorists to target soldiers and residential communities, “as well as to broadcast the violent acts so as to evoke fear in Israelis and destabilize the country,” the report says.

The reported memo orders fighters to enter communities “with gasoline or diesel from a tanker.”

“Two or three operations, in which an entire neighborhood, kibbutz, or something similar will be burned, must be prepared,” the Times quotes the memo by Yahya Sinwar as saying.

Another reportedly intercepted memo from a Hamas battalion commander on October 7, just before 10 a.m., repeats the orders of the original: “Start setting homes on fire.”

“Burn, burn,” the commander says. “I want the whole kibbutz to be in flames.”

“Set fire to anything,” another Gaza City commander reportedly says.

Lebanese media reports Israeli strike on vehicle in southern town

Lebanese media reports an Israeli drone strike against a vehicle near the southern town of Khirbet Selm a short while ago.

There is no immediate comment from the IDF.

متابعة: الغارة استهدفت سيارة بين خربة سلم وقلاوي pic.twitter.com/MUJ0Elf7o6

— bintjbeil.org (@bintjbeilnews) October 11, 2025

Witkoff and CENTCOM chief visit base in Gaza, reportedly to confirm IDF pullout

US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and CENTCOM chief Adm. Brad Cooper visited an Israeli army post in the Gaza Strip today, Fox News reports.

The two American officials were joined by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who is blurred in the image published by Fox.

Fox reports that the visit was to confirm that the agreed-upon withdrawal as part of the deal with Hamas was complete.

EXCLUSIVE: US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff accompanied by CENTCOM commander Admiral Bradley Copper visited Israeli troops inside base in Gaza to confirm agreed upon withdrawal was complete. Fox News obtained this exclusive photo of the visit. Both have returned to Israel. pic.twitter.com/vUWFQeZxKi

— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) October 11, 2025

Confirming the visit, Cooper in a statement says he “just returned from a visit inside Gaza to inform how we are moving forward to establish a CENTCOM-led Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) that will synchronize activities to support post-conflict stabilization.”

“America’s sons and daughters in uniform are answering the call to deliver peace in the Middle East in support of the Commander in Chief’s direction in this historic moment,” he says.

“This great effort will be achieved with no US boots on the ground in Gaza,” Cooper adds.

Hamas authorities say some 50,000 return to Gaza City on second day of ceasefire

A Palestinian man pushes his bike as he and others make their way to Gaza City through the Netzarim corridor, from Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip, on October 11, 2025. (Eyad BABA / AFP)

Thousands of displaced Palestinians return to a devastated Gaza City, the second day of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with many stunned by the destruction, even as others were relieved to find their homes still standing.

Taking advantage of the ceasefire, Raja Salmi walked back to her home in Gaza City, where weeks of Israeli bombardment and ground operations had targeted areas said to harbour thousands of Hamas fighters.

“We walked for hours, and every step was filled with fear and anxiety for my home,” Salmi tells AFP.

When she reached the Al-Rimal neighbourhood, she found her house destroyed.

“It no longer exists. It’s just a pile of rubble,” she says. “I stood before it and cried. All those memories are now just dust.”

The flow of returnees continues, with around 50,000 people arriving in Gaza City today, according to the civil defence agency, a rescue service operating under Hamas authority.

“This brings the total number of returnees to Gaza since yesterday to around 250,000 so far,” says Mohammed Al-Mughayyir, an official with the agency.

Survivor of Nova massacre takes his own life, two years after October 7 massacre

Roei Shalev (right) and Mapal Adam in an undated photo. (Courtesy)

Roei Shalev, a survivor of the October 7, 2023, Nova music festival massacre whose partner, Mapal Adam, was murdered that day, took his own life last night.

He was found in a burning car on a highway exit near Netanya. Israel Police says an investigation has been opened into the circumstances of his death.

Shalev was wounded in the Hamas-led attack on the Nova festival near Re’im, and his friends said he never recovered from the trauma or from the loss of Adam. His mother took her own life several days after the massacre.

Shortly before his death, Shalev posted a message on social media saying he “couldn’t go on” and asking for forgiveness. Concerned friends and members of the Nova community launched a search after he failed to respond to calls.

CCTV showed him at a gas station filling a canister with fuel. His car was found burning, and the firefighters subsequently found his body in the vehicle. He was declared dead immediately.

The Shalev family announces his death in a statement, asking “to refrain from contact.” The statement further says details of the funeral “will be provided separately.”

Police and rescue forces at the scene where Roei Shalev was found dead inside a burned car near Udim, October 10, 2025. (Tal Gal/Flash90)

The Nova Tribe Community organization, which represents survivors and families of the victims of the festival massacre, says in a statement it was “bowing its head with hearts shattered into pieces, in the deepest sorrow over the untimely death of our beloved friend Roei Shalev.”

“Roei was one of the pillars of our community, and his death is an incomprehensible loss,” the organization says. “We ask to remember him in his most beautiful moments — his courageous support of the community, his leadership as captain of the Nova Tribe basketball team, and his devotion to helping friends in their most difficult times.”

The organization also urges continued awareness of the mental toll on survivors and bereaved families. “We have endured so much pain in these two years, and we will endure this unimaginable sorrow together as well. Many trauma survivors continue to experience unbearable moments since October 7. We call on everyone to remain vigilant and sensitive to their emotional state,” the statement says.

Friends who joined the search for Shalev describe him as a warm and devoted member of the Nova community who “gave strength to everyone else while quietly carrying immense pain.”

His death comes amid ongoing efforts by the Nova community to support hundreds of survivors of the massacre, which claimed the lives of 364 people and left many others injured and traumatized.

Palestinian shot dead after hurling explosive at IDF troops in Jenin, military says

Israeli soldiers operate in the West Bank city of Jenin, June 30, 2025. (Nasser Ishtayeh/ Flash90)

A Palestinian who hurled an explosive device at Israeli soldiers during operations in the northern West Bank city of Jenin yesterday evening was shot dead, the military says.

The IDF says the forces of the Paratroopers Brigade’s reconnaissance unit were not hurt by the bomb.

The slain Palestinian is identified by local media as Muhammad Adnan Yousef Salama, 25.

Israel changed 100 names on list of prisoners to be released as part of Gaza deal, Hamas source says

Israel changed 100 names on a list of prisoners Hamas wanted to release as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal, a source in the terror group tells the Ynet news site.

Israel “changed the entire list in a sophisticated and cunning way,” according to the source, who does not specify which prisoners have been swapped out.

Lebanese media reports overnight Israeli strikes destroyed 300 vehicles

The overnight Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed a Syrian national and wounded six other people, Lebanese media reports.

According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, the strikes hit more than 10 yards where engineering vehicles were stored. NNA says some 300 vehicles, including bulldozers and excavators, and over 100 small Bobcat utility vehicles, were destroyed in the strikes.

The IDF said the airstrikes had targeted Hezbollah sites where the terror group was storing heavy machinery to use “for rebuilding its terror infrastructure in southern Lebanon.”

غارات جوية نفذها الطيران الحربي الإسرائيلي استهدفت معارض للجرافات والحفارات على طريق المصيلح، في قضاء صيدا جنوب لبنان pic.twitter.com/09VDvVemoI

— Annahar النهار (@Annahar) October 11, 2025

عشر غارات جوية نفذها الطيران الحربي المعادي استهدفت 6 معارض للجرافات والحفارات على طريق #المصيلح، وتدمير واحتراق عدد كبير من الآليات، وعدد كبير من سيارات الإطفاء تعمل على اخماد النيران. pic.twitter.com/lLJO3kLHat

— Al Modon – المدن (@almodononline) October 11, 2025

Israel won’t release two Gazan medical officials as part of deal, Hamas source tells CNN

Kamal Adwan Hospital director Hussam Abu Safiya, in an undated screenshot taken from a Democracy Now video posted to YouTube on January 14, 2025 (Democracy Now screenshot, used in accordance with clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Israel will not release two detained Palestinian medical officials as part of the Gaza ceasefire-hostage release agreement, a source from the Hamas terror group tells CNN.

Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a pediatrician detained last year, and Dr. Marwan al-Hams, the Hamas-appointed director of field hospitals in Gaza, detained in July, will not be released from Israeli custody.

Israel detained Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, along with nearly 240 others during a raid on the medical facility in December 2024, alleging that Hamas was using it as a command center.

The military said it suspected Abu Safiya of being a member of Hamas.

Tel Aviv’s Tzuk Beach closed after shark sighting

Tel Aviv’s Tzuk Beach has been closed after a shark was spotted in the area, according to the city’s municipality.

There have been several shark sightings along Israel’s Mediterranean coast the past week.

Lebanese president slams Israel for overnight strikes that killed one, wounded seven

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun addresses the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters, in New York City, on September 23, 2025. (Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemns Israel for carrying out overnight strikes that the health ministry says killed at least one person.

“Once again, southern Lebanon has been the target of a heinous Israeli aggression against civilian installations — without justification or pretext,” Aoun says. “The seriousness of this latest attack lies in the fact that it comes after the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.”

The ministry says an Israeli strike on the Al-Msayleh area left one person dead and seven others wounded. The official National News Agency says Israeli warplanes conducted 10 raids targeting bulldozer and excavator yards.

The Israel Defense Forces said that it struck sites where Hezbollah was storing heavy machinery to use “for rebuilding its terror infrastructure in southern Lebanon.”

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

US troops begin arriving in Israel to oversee Gaza ceasefire

CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper, left, and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir meet at the IDF's headquarters in Tel Aviv, in a photo cleared for publication September 6, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

US troops begin arriving in Israel overnight as part of a force that will help oversee the Gaza ceasefire, ABC News reports.

The report, citing two officials, says that the 200-strong team will arrive over the weekend, flying in from the US and other bases across the Middle East.

Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of the US military’s Central Command, arrived in Israel yesterday.

Officials have said that US personnel were intended to help create a joint control center and then integrate all the other security forces that will be going into Gaza and help liaise with the IDF.

Egyptian, Qatari, Turkish and probably Emirati military officials will be embedded in the team, likely based out of Egypt. Officials have said no US troops are intended to go into Gaza.

Trump remains in ‘exceptional health,’ doctor says

US President Donald Trump looks on during the announcement of a deal to lower drug prices with drug maker AstraZeneca at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on October 10, 2025. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)

US President Donald Trump was found to be in “exceptional health” in a medical evaluation, his doctor says in a memo released by the White House, with his “cardiac age” 14 years younger than in “chronological age.”

Trump, 79, was the oldest person to assume the US presidency when he retook the White House in January, and he is the second oldest person to ever serve as the country’s president.

In office, the Republican president has maintained a high-tempo schedule and a fondness for red meat. On Sunday, he plans to travel to the Middle East after brokering a Gaza ceasefire deal.

“Trump remains in exceptional health, exhibiting strong cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological, and physical performance,” Trump’s physician Sean Barbabella says in the memo, which was made out to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Trump also received preventive health screenings and immunizations, including annual flu and updated COVID-19 booster vaccinations, in preparation for his upcoming international travel.

“His cardiac age – a validated measure of cardiovascular vitality via ECG – was found be approximately 14 years younger than his chronological age,” reads the memo, which was just a few paragraphs long.

IDF says it targeted heavy machinery used by Hezbollah to ‘rebuild its terror infrastructure in south Lebanon’

The military announces that it struck sites where Hezbollah was storing heavy machinery to use “for rebuilding its terror infrastructure in southern Lebanon.”

The Israel Defense Forces accuses Hezbollah of operating in a manner that poses “a threat to Lebanese civilians and uses them as human shields,” while saying that the “location” of the heavy equipment and its operation by the Iran-backed terror group breached the ceasefire agreement reached last November.

IDF says no terror threat in settlement, residents can now leave their homes

The military gives residents of Alei Zehav the all clear to leave their homes, saying there is no threat of a terrorist infiltration after alarms were activated in the West Bank settlement.

Suspected terror infiltration alerts activated in northern West Bank settlement

Suspected terrorist infiltration alerts are activated in the northern West Bank settlement of Alei Zahav, with the IDF Home Front Command instructing residents to immediately enter protected areas and remain there until further notice.

Senior Hamas leader says group still pushing mediators on release of Palestinian terror chiefs

Hamas politburo member Moussa Abu Marzouk, front, attends the funeral of Saleh Arouri, in Beirut, Lebanon, January 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

A senior Hamas official says that the terror group is in contact with mediators about several Palestinian terrorist leaders who Israel has refused to free under the US-brokered deal, including Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Saadat.

“The movement (Hamas) is insisting on their release and negotiations are still ongoing,” Mousa Abu Marzouk tells the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera TV network.

He says Israel turned down several other proposed names. When asked if those included Abdullah Barghouti, Hassan Salama, Ibrahim Hamed and Abbas al-Sayyed, he replies, “Yes. These are the most prominent names that the occupation always rejects.”

The remarks came as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine put out a statement saying they would agree to abide the ceasefire and hostage release deal despite Israel’s refusal to free a number of the prisoners they are demanding.

Trump predicts ceasefire will hold, says Hamas ‘getting the hostages now’ before they’re freed Monday

US President Donald Trump announces a deal to lower drug prices with drug maker AstraZeneca at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on October 10, 2025. (Saul Loeb/AFP)

US President Donald Trump says he expects the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will hold because “They’re all tired of fighting.”

Trump tells reporters in the Oval Office that Hamas has lost 58,000 people. Earlier this week, he put the figure at 70,000.

The Hamas-run health ministry’s death toll is currently at over 67,000, but doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.

“It’s a great deal for Israel, but it’s a great deal for everybody,” he says of the agreement.

According to Trump, the hostages will be released on Monday, with Hamas “getting them now” before they are freed.

“They’re in some pretty rough places under earth… only a few people know where they are… They’re also getting approximately 28 bodies. Some of those bodies are being unearthed.”

Trump also says he will meet a “lot of leaders” in Egypt on Monday to discuss the future of devastated Gaza, adding that the meeting would likely be in Cairo.

He says he will also address the Knesset when he visits Israel earlier on the same day.

Trump says he is confident that the Gaza ceasefire will lead to a wider Middle East peace.

“Now we have some little hot spots, but they’re very small… They’ll be very easy to put out. Those fires are going to be put out very quickly,” he adds.

.@POTUS: "It's a great deal for Israel, but it's a great deal for everybody… on Monday, the hostages come back… I'll be going to Israel, I'll be speaking at the Knesset early on, and then, I'm also going to Egypt… Everybody wants this deal to happen." pic.twitter.com/ClE48ScEeY

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 10, 2025

Hamas expects additional aid supply to Gaza from Saturday, Rafah crossing to open mid-week

Entry of additional humanitarian aid and other essential supplies to the Gaza Strip will begin tomorrow, a senior Hamas official says, according to the Haaretz daily.

According to the report, mediators informed Hamas that the supply entry will begin tomorrow and that the supplies will include gas and other fuels.

The report adds that the mediators have reached out to the Israel Electric Corporation to prepare to resume power supply to the enclave.

In addition, the Rafah Crossing will open to civilians in both directions in the middle of next week, the report adds.

Hamas, other terror groups reject any ‘foreign guardianship’ over post-war Gaza

Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine release a joint statement rejecting any “foreign guardianship” over Gaza, stressing that its governance is a purely internal Palestinian matter.

They also expressed their readiness to benefit from Arab and international participation in the reconstruction of the enclave.