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The Times of Israel liveblogged Friday’s events as they unfolded.
Senior Hamas official: US plan’s 72 hour window for releasing hostages ‘unrealistic’
Senior Hamas leader Moussa Abu Marzouk. (AP/Hatem Moussa)
Senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk tells Al Jazeera that Hamas accepts in principle the main facets of the US plan for ending the Gaza war, but he argues that the proposal’s “implementation requires negotiation.”
He takes particular issue with the plan’s envisioning of the release of all remaining hostages within 72 hours, calling it “unrealistic under the current circumstances.”
The terror group has, in the past, told Arab mediators that it doesn’t know where some of the bodies of slain hostages are located and that it may take some time to deliver all of them back to Israel.
It is unclear whether the US is interested in holding additional talks or whether it expects Hamas to accept the proposal as is.
Parts of the 20-point plan are indeed vague enough that subsequent talks would have been required regardless. For example, the plan states that Israeli forces “will withdraw to the agreed-upon line” upon the sides’ acceptance of the proposal, without specifying where that line is or whether it still needs to be negotiated.
It is possible that it is referring to the illustrative map demarcating the phased withdrawal of Israeli troops, but the image doesn’t appear to be created to exact scale.
Marzouk says the US plan’s envisioning of the creation of an international stabilization force to replace the IDF in Gaza “requires clarification.”
Marzouk also tells Al Jazeera that Hamas will not disarm before the Israeli “occupation” ends, reiterating that issues regarding Gaza’s future should be discussed within a comprehensive Palestinian national framework, which Hamas will be part of.
He says that another round of negotiations needs to be held regarding Hamas’s weapons.
The US plan doesn’t appear to leave this question up for debate, though, stating that all of them must be destroyed and that Gaza must be demilitarized.
“We will hand over [our] weapons to the future Palestinian state, and whoever governs Gaza will have [our] weapons in his hand,” Marzouk says.
Regardless, Marzouk insists that Hamas has negotiated openly and responsibly with the US proposal.
Hamas welcomes parts of US proposal for ending Gaza war, says it’s prepared to free all hostages, but seeks follow-up talks
Members of the press wait for a Red Cross convoy after Hamas's release of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, on Salah al-Din Street, east of Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, May 12, 2025. (Ali Hassan/Flash90)
Hamas announces that it has submitted its response to US President Donald Trump’s proposal for ending the Gaza war, declaring that it is prepared to release all remaining hostages under the terms laid out in the plan and that it is ready to immediately enter negotiations with the mediators to discuss the details.
The group is ostensibly referring to talks that still need to be held regarding the identities of the roughly 2,000 Palestinian security prisoners and bodies of slain Gazans who would be released in exchange for the 48 hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
But the Hamas statement stipulates that the hostages will be released “with the provision of the field conditions necessary for the exchange process.”
It does not elaborate further on this issue, but the stance suggests that it may not be able to release all 48 hostages within 72 hours of the deal coming into place — as the US plan states — if the conditions on the ground are not appropriate. The terror group has, in the past, told mediators that it doesn’t know where some of the bodies of slain hostages are located and that it may take some time to deliver all of them back to Israel.
Hamas also reiterates its willingness to hand over control of Gaza to an independent body of Palestinian technocrats, as envisioned by the US proposal.
“As for what was included in President Trump’s proposal regarding other issues related to the future of the Gaza Strip and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, this… will be discussed through a comprehensive Palestinian national framework, which Hamas will be part of,” the terror group says.
???? BREAKING: Hamas Statement regarding Trump's so-called Gaza Peace Plan:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
In an effort to halt the aggression and war of extermination being waged against our steadfast people in the Gaza Strip, and based on national… https://t.co/tlCwmupoys pic.twitter.com/NAVfyKlL9r
— The Arab Eye (@TheArabEye0) October 3, 2025
All other issues pertaining to the future of Gaza would include the question of whether Hamas will disarm — a key component of the US proposal — one that has been a red line for Hamas and something that the group’s statement gives no indication that it is prepared to accept.
Moreover, Hamas’s desire to be part of a national Palestinian dialogue regarding the future political aspirations of the Palestinian people also appears to conflict with the terms of the deal, which stipulate that Hamas can have no role — direct or indirect — in the governance of Gaza.
Hamas says it conducted talks with other factions in order to come up with the response presented to the mediators.
The group says it appreciated international efforts on the matter, including the one advanced by Trump, highlighting the US proposal’s provisions ending the war, releasing Palestinian prisoners, surging aid into Gaza, rejecting the occupation of the Strip, and rejecting the displacement of Palestinians from the enclave.
It’s also not immediately clear whether the formal response submitted to the mediators is the same as the public statement, given that the latter also makes no mention of Hamas’s qualms regarding the proposal’s envisioned withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza.
An Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel that Hamas and the mediators were expected to seek amendments regarding this issue, due to displeasure with the 11th-hour changes that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secured that slowed and limited the pull-out of Israeli troops.
US shutdown to stretch into next week after failed Senate vote
Senators vote for the fourth time to reject a stopgap Republican funding fix to reopen the US government, ensuring that the federal shutdown will extend into next week.
Nonessential operations have been grinding to a halt since Wednesday, and with Congress adjourning after rejecting the latest attempt at a solution, hopes were dashed that the crisis could be resolved before the weekend.
Critically ill Palestinian infant dies before evacuators reach Gaza City hospital — UN
Illustrative: A prematurely born baby lies inside an infant incubator at the al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on March 15, 2025.(Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
A critically ill newborn who was receiving treatment at Al-Helou Hospital in Gaza City died this morning before he could be evacuated by World Health Organization medical teams, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric says.
The WHO mission managed to evacuate three other critically ill newborns from Al-Helou to Al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah where they will be able to receive lifesaving care that can no longer be provided at Al-Helou, which is now in the middle of a major war zone that Israel has ordered be evacuated.
Al-Aqsa Hospital itself is already overwhelmed and facing severe shortages of medical supplies, as more people flee south from the north, Dujarric says during a press briefing.
The UN spokesperson says aid workers continue to be among those killed, including one Doctors Without Borders (MSF) member reportedly killed yesterday in a strike in Deir al-Balah that seriously injured four others, as they waited for a bus to evacuate to an MSF hospital.
This was the 14th MSF staffer killed since the start of the war and brought the total number of aid workers killed in the conflict to at least 562.
Seven rescuers and firefighters from the Hamas-run Palestinian civil defense were killed while evacuating casualties from a school in Gaza City on Wednesday, Dujarric says.
Aid workers report that many displaced families, including pregnant women, are now living in the parking lot of Gaza City’s Shifa hospital.
“Hospital medics reported that most of their staff have either left for the south or are too terrified to keep coming to work amid the ongoing military activities,” Dujarric says.
While the majority of Gaza City has evacuated, roughly 200,000 of the earlier one million have remained — some physically unable to journey south, others can’t afford the trip, and others are not convinced that the conditions will be any better in the south, which has become exceedingly crowded and limited in humanitarian aid.
Hamas reportedly submits response to US proposal for ending Gaza war
Al Jazeera reports that Hamas has submitted its response to the US proposal for ending the Gaza war.
Hamas has yet to issue a public statement confirming the development.
Israel to spend up to $4.1 million on Christian PR campaign in western US, filings show
The Foreign Ministry has hired another American firm to run influence operations in the United States, with plans to spend as much as $4.1 million on a marketing campaign aimed at Christians across the western part of the country, according to newly filed federal disclosures.
The documents, filed last week under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, reveal that Show Faith by Works, LLC will execute what it bills as the “largest Christian Church Geofencing Campaign in US history.”
A newly formed company with a San Diego address, Show Faith by Works, is run by Chad Schnitger, a prominent Christian conservative activist in California.
The initiative is designed to reach churchgoers with digital ads that are explicitly “pro-Israel and anti-Palestinian,” while dispatching a mobile “October 7th Experience” exhibit to church parking lots and Christian colleges.
The campaign adds a new prong to Israel’s US communications blitz, complementing a $1.5 million-per-month contract for AI-driven social media activity with former Trump campaign strategist Brad Parscale and a contract with a firm called Bridge Partners to create an influencer network called the Esther Project.
The PR blitz was anticipated after the Foreign Ministry was allocated $150 million in this year’s budget for public relations efforts.
‘Truly wonderful people’: Men killed in UK synagogue attack known for kindness
(L) Adrian Daulby and (R) Melvin Cravitz, killed October 2, 2025, during a terror attack on a synagogue in Manchester, England, in undated photos. (Greater Manchester Police/Facebook)
Friends and family of the two men killed during a terror attack on a synagogue in Manchester, northwest England, were in mourning today and paid tribute to “truly wonderful” people.
Armed police inadvertently shot Adrian Daulby as they responded to the attack, which happened on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.
The circumstances of Melvin Cravitz’s death in the car and stabbing attack carried out by Jihad al-Shamie, a UK citizen of Syrian descent, remained unclear.
Both men lived in Crumpsall, a suburb of Manchester with an ethnically diverse but tight-knit community, where the Heaton Park synagogue is located.
During a vigil today, Rabbi Daniel Walker from the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation praises both as “truly wonderful, special men whose lives were so truly snatched from them as they tried to pray as Jews on the holiest day of the year on Yom Kippur.”
Police describe Daulby as “one of the brave worshipers” who had “prevented the attacker from gaining access to the premises.”
“Adrian Daulby was a hero and tragically lost his life in the act of courage to save others,” his family says in a statement.
“He was a beloved brother, loving uncle to his four nieces and one nephew and a cherished cousin,” it adds.
“The family is shocked by the tragic, sudden death of such a lovely down to earth man. His final act was one of profound courage, and he will forever be remembered for his heroic act on Thursday, 2 October 2025.”
A neighbor, John Kelly, tells The Times that Daulby had lived at the same address since he was a child, and his late father had worked at a Jewish tailoring shop.
Daulby was a “very, very genuine man” and “a good member of the community” who would take his neighbours’ bins out for them, Kelly says.
Another neighbor, who gave his name only as Hussain, tells The Times that Daulby had told him this week he “was not feeling too good” and “was debating” whether to go to the synagogue.
Friends of Cravitz, 66, tell The Daily Telegraph he often came to dinner and was well-known locally.
“He was a lovely person. Always with a joke, always making a smile,” says Elchonon Cohen.
“He was very beloved. He was a figure around here. If you saw Melvin, you stopped and talked,” says Elchonon Cohen’s wife, Hindi Cohen.
“He had health issues, but he was always with a joke and a smile,” she adds.
Cravitz had no children of his own but was a beloved figure to his wife Karen’s children from a previous marriage, the Telegraph reported.
“He didn’t have immediate family of his own, but the family he had he was desperate to connect with,” says Hindi Cohen. “This is a tragedy for all of them.”
A business register kept by the Companies House agency shows a Melvin Leslie Cravitz, born in March 1959, with an address in Crumpsall.
It says he had served as a director of a management company for an apartment building close to the synagogue. At that time, he gave his occupation as a delivery driver.
Swiss to protest over curtailed visit to Gaza flotilla nationals detained in Israel
Israeli Navy troops board Global Sumud Flotilla boats in the Mediterranean Sea, early October 2, 2025. (Screenshot: YouTube/Global Sumud Flotilla)
Switzerland will file a diplomatic protest to Israel after Israeli security forces cut short a visit by Swiss diplomats to imprisoned detainees from the Gaza aid flotilla, the Swiss foreign ministry says.
“Due to various incidents, the Israeli security authorities interrupted the visit, preventing the Swiss embassy representatives from talking at length with the group of Swiss nationals,” the ministry says in a statement.
Israeli officials do not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Nineteen Swiss nationals were aboard boats in the flotilla of dozens of vessels that tried to deliver aid to Israeli-blockaded Gaza. They were taken into custody on Thursday by Israeli forces who intercepted the flotilla at sea, well off Gaza’s coast, and eventually taken to Ketziot prison, according to the Waves of Freedom flotilla group.
Hundreds of other activists, including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg, were also detained in what was the latest attempt by activists to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, where it has been waging war since Hamas’s October 2023 attack.
The Swiss foreign ministry says it would demand from Israel – with which it has had friendly bilateral ties – immediate and unhindered access to the detained Swiss nationals to ascertain their state of health and conditions of detention.
Representatives from the Swiss teams visited the Ketziot prison for eight hours, the ministry says, adding that they planned to return on Sunday.
Witness says Manchester terrorist shouted, ‘This is what they get for killing our children’
Jihad al-Shamie,who carried out a deadly terrorist attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester, UK, on Yom Kippur, October 2, 2025. (Image circulated on social media)
Alan Levy, head of the Heaton Park Congregation’s board of trustees, tells the UK’s ITV News that he heard Jihad al-Shamie, the terrorist who attacked the synagogue on Yom Kippur, shouting “this is what they get for killing our children” as he tried to break down the door.
It appears to be the first statement linking the deadly terror attack to the war in Gaza.
Two people — Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66 — were killed and three seriously wounded in the attack.
Levy says he was one of the people who helped barricade the door, along with the congregation’s Rabbi Daniel Walker; Daulby, who was accidentally shot dead by police; and another congregant who was also accidentally shot and was seriously injured.
Shamie was holding “a big knife, banging his knife into the glass, trying to get through” the door, says Levy.
“Our children aren’t safe in schools; we have to have guards. Our people are not safe at the synagogue going to pray on the holiest day of our year,” says Levy.
“We’ve been overwhelmed by the local community, Jewish and non-Jewish, who’ve offered help and support to us in this time,” he adds.
Following the attack, he says, “We carried on our service at the police station, when we went to give our statements.”
“We will be carrying on our services at another venue, and we’re going to carry on,” says Levy. “We’re going to be strong, and we’re not going to let this defeat us in any way.”
White House: Hamas has opportunity to accept our plan; if it doesn’t, consequences will be tragic
After US President Donald Trump issues his Sunday ultimatum to Hamas to accept the deal, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says, “The entire world should hear the president of the United States loud and clear.”
“Hamas has an opportunity to accept this plan and to move forward in a peaceful and prosperous manner in the region,” she says during a press briefing.
“If they don’t the consequences unfortunately are going to be very tragic,” Leavitt adds.
UK minister jeered while addressing vigil near Manchester synagogue targeted in Yom Kippur terror attack
Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Lammy addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 25, 2025, at the UN headquarters. (AP/Pamela Smith)
UK Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy is jeered as he addresses a vigil near Heaton Park Congregation, the Manchester synagogue where two people were killed in a terror attack during Yom Kippur services on Thursday.
The Guardian reports that audience members call out “Shame on you,” “Go to Palestine, leave us alone,” “You’ve allowed it to grow on the campuses” and “You have blood on your hands” at Lammy as he took the stage.
At least one audience member turned her back to Lammy as he spoke, according to the outlet.
One former congregant, Joanne Lazarus, 61, is quoted telling the PA news agency she didn’t think Lammy would care about the response he received.
She says she “can’t take” weekly pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protests and wants the government to shut them down.
“I can’t take these marches every single Saturday,” she says. “I’ve been into town on a Saturday and have been told I’m a baby killer and to ‘go home,’”
Report: Trump gave Sunday deadline after Qatari emir asked for more time to deliver Hamas
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani gestures next to US President Donald Trump at Al Udeid Air Base, May 15, 2025, in Doha, Qatar. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
US President Donald Trump reportedly gave his Sunday 6 p.m. Eastern time deadline for Hamas to respond to his Gaza peace proposal after Qatari Emir Tamim asked him for more time.
Trump on Tuesday said he would give Hamas three to four days to respond, which meant by Friday or Saturday.
On Wednesday, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani phoned Trump and said the original timeline wasn’t sufficient and asked for a full week to try and bring Hamas on board.
Qatari officials told their US counterparts that Hamas needs to consult with all of the factions in Gaza, as the terror group is not the only one holding hostages, Channel 12 reports.
The Qataris also argued that communication between Hamas’s Gaza-based leadership and its officials abroad takes time — something an unnamed senior Israeli official disputed to the network.
Trump agreed to extend the deadline, though, not for as long as the Qatari emir had requested.
Echoing reporting in The Times of Israel, the senior Israeli official tells Channel 12 that Jerusalem believes that Hamas will respond positively to the US proposal, while requesting a series of amendments and clarifications.
Still, the Hamas response is likely to come earlier in the weekend than Trump’s deadline.
The Israeli official says Hamas is seeking to secure amendments to the deal that prevent a scenario from unfolding that is similar to the situation in Lebanon, where a ceasefire has been in place since November 2024, but Israel has continued carrying out airstrikes against what it says are Hezbollah targets on a near-daily basis since.
Family of Adrian Daulby, shot while barricading synagogue door during terror attack: ‘His final act was one of profound courage’
Adrian Daulby, who was killed October 2, 2025, during a terror attack on a synagogue in Manchester, England, in an undated photo (Greater Manchester Police)
Adrian Daulby is praised for his heroic action after he was apparently accidentally shot and killed by police while barricading the synagogue door during yesterday’s Yom Kippur terror attack in Manchester.
“Adrian was one of the brave worshippers attending the synagogue at the time of the incident and prevented the attacker from gaining access to the premises,” Greater Manchester Police say in a statement.
“It is currently believed that Adrian’s injury may sadly have been sustained as a tragic and unforeseen consequence of the urgently required action taken by our officers to bring a vicious attack to an end,” the police force says.
Earlier today, police said that one of the two victims appeared to have been accidentally shot by police responding to the terror attack at the Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue in Manchester, without naming Daulby.
Daulby’s family says in the statement that he “was a hero and tragically lost his life in the act of courage to save others.”
“He was a beloved brother, loving uncle to his four nieces and one nephew and a cherished cousin. The family is shocked by the tragic, sudden death of such a lovely down to earth man.
“His final act was one of profound courage and he will forever be remembered for his heroic act,” the family says.
Manchester terrorist was reportedly out on bail for alleged rape committed earlier this year
Jihad al-Shamie,who carried out a deadly terrorist attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester, UK, on Yom Kippur, October 2, 2025. (Image circulated on social media)
The Manchester synagogue terrorist was reportedly out on bail for an alleged rape.
Jihad al-Shamie was being investigated for a sexual assault that allegedly took place earlier this year, The Guardian reveals.
The Syrian-born UK citizen is also believed to have other criminal convictions, but he was not on the radar of counter-terror authorities, The Guardian says.
“He was on nobody’s radar for terrorism but he definitely had a criminal record, though nothing to suggest he was going to do anything like this,” one source tells the British daily.
Police are also probing whether Shamie was behind a death threat sent to former Conservative MP John Howell in 2012. The threat was signed by someone also named “Jihad Alshamie.”
“It is people like you who deserve to die,” the message read.
Howell in 2012 told The Jerusalem Post that he didn’t feel like authorities had taken the threat seriously and that he believed he was targeted due to his support for Israel.
Dutch maintain ban on export of F-35 parts to Israel
The unveiling of the first F-35 fighter plane to be delivered to the Netherlands at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth, Texas, Wednesday, January 30, 2019. (Max Faulkner/Star-Telegram via AP)
The Netherlands says it will maintain its ban on exporting parts for F-35 fighter jets to Israel despite a Supreme Court order giving it the option to change its policy.
The ban on exporting parts for the jets used by Israel in its Gaza campaign has been in place since February 2024, when an Appeals Court ordered the government to halt exports.
But earlier Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that this court had overstepped its brief and said it was up to the government, not judges, to set foreign policy.
Supreme Court judges gave the government six weeks to review its policy on export licenses, but the decision came in a matter of hours.
“Given the current circumstances, it is unreasonable to resume the export of F-35 components from the Netherlands to Israel at this time,” the government says in a statement.
The US-owned F-35 parts are stored at a warehouse in the Netherlands, then shipped to several partners, including Israel, via existing export agreements.
The government stresses its commitment to the F-35 program as “a vital factor in safeguarding our security and that of our allies.”
It said it had taken the case to the Supreme Court “because, according to the cabinet, it is up to the state to shape its foreign policy.”
However, this step was unrelated to what the government called “the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip.”
“A ceasefire must be reached as soon as possible to end the violence and the suffering of the population, and to release the hostage,” says the statement.
Friday’s Supreme Court ruling put an end to a long-running legal saga over the parts.
Supreme Court Vice-President Martijn Polak ruled that the Appeals Court had erred in siding with rights groups that argued the parts contributed to violations of international law by Israel.
“The Court of Appeal may not assess for itself whether granting the permit constitutes a clear risk of serious violation of international humanitarian law,” said Polak. “That is up to the minister.”
Taylor Swift strides into ‘Showgirl’ era with new joyful album
FILE - Taylor Swift performs at Wembley Stadium as part of her Eras Tour, June 21, 2024, in London. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP, File)
Taylor Swift is in a sparkling new era.
Earlier today, she dropped her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” a collection of bouncy pop songs about love, marriage, success — and score-settling — that had fans analyzing and debating every word.
The 35-year-old artist reunited with Swedish hitmakers Max Martin and Shellback for the tight 12-track collection, and their influence is clear in the driving beats and catchy hooks.
“I can’t tell you how proud I am to share this with you, an album that just feels so right,” Swift posts on Instagram, along with photos of her in showgirl outfits.
Elated fans worldwide are snapping up tickets to special “release party” screenings in movie theaters — including the premiere of the video for lead single “The Fate of Ophelia.”
While the album still features plenty of introspection, it reveals a lighter, happier Swift — in love with her NFL Super Bowl champion fiancé Travis Kelce, happy to have bought back her music catalog and proud of her record-shattering Eras Tour.
“I just want you, have a couple of kids, got the whole block looking like you… Got me dreaming about a driveway with a basketball hoop,” she sings on the dreamy “Wish List.”
And on “The Fate of Ophelia,” referring to the tragic character in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” she says: “Late one night, you took me out of my grieving / Saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia.”
“I used to have this dark fear that if I ever were truly, like, happy and… nurtured by a relationship — what happens if the writing just dries up? What happens if writing is directly tied to my torment and pain?” Swift said in an interview with BBC Radio 1.
“And it turns out that’s not the case at all.”
After 9-month halt due to IDF offensive, central Gaza water supply to resume
A girl sits by water containers while displaced Palestinians wait to collect water in the Mawasi area of southern Gaza, on August 14, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
The Ramallah-based Palestinian Water Authority says that running water would return to central Gaza after damage to supply lines caused by Israel’s offensive in the territory cut off access for over nine months.
The authority says that during a trial, its teams restored flows to communities hooked up to the water main, encompassing nearly one million people living or displaced in Al-Maghazi, Al-Bureij, Nuseirat and Deir Al-Balah.
Almost all Gazans have been displaced during the nearly two years of war in the Gaza Strip, increasing the population density in central Gaza, which has been less affected by air strikes.
The repairs on the water main took time, the Water Authority says, because of military activity and the presence of Israeli forces, and had to be done in coordination with Israeli authorities.
The water line is supplied by Mekorot, the state-owned Israeli company that supplies 22 percent of the water in Gaza and the West Bank, according to the Palestinian statistics office, with the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority footing the bill.
The Palestinian Authority, which oversees the Water Authority, still operates in certain civilian matters in the Gaza Strip, even though control of the territory was seized by its rival Hamas in 2007.
A UN source compares the task of repairing Gaza’s water lines to the task of the Greek mythology character Sisyphus, who must push a boulder up a hill every day, only for it to roll back down.
“We repair, but we don’t know when it will be destroyed again,” the source says.
Repairing central Gaza’s water main will not bring back water to all of the area, as humanitarian sources estimate that 80 percent of the distribution network is damaged, and leaks are frequent.
The war aggravated the pre-existing water crisis in Gaza, with water pumped from a shrinking aquifer often coming out brackish and unsafe for human consumption.
The UN-led WASH Cluster, a group of humanitarian organizations working on water and hygiene issues in Gaza, says that most water pipes have been damaged during military offensives, and that many Gazans living under air strikes or in displacement camps have nothing to store water with.
For displaced Gazans living in makeshift shelters and camps in the areas near Gaza’s coast, often the only source of water is temporary distribution sites set up by humanitarian groups or water trucks.
IDF accused of hurling grenades near UNIFIL observers and Lebanese troops
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon says the IDF threw grenades near its forces and Lebanese soldiers who were operating in southern Lebanon yesterday.
The UNIFIL and Lebanese troops were providing for civilian workers in the village of Maroun ar-Ras who were trying to clear the ruins of homes destroyed during the war.
“Around 11:30 am, [observer forces] at two different sites heard a grenade explode near an excavator, about 500 meters away from them,” the statement from UNIFIL says.
“Moments later, the first group saw a drone fly overhead and witnessed an explosion about 30-40 meters away. About 20 minutes after that, the second group saw another drone drop a grenade that exploded just 20 meters over their heads.”
“UNIFIL had informed the IDF about the activity in advance and immediately demanded that the firing stop.”
“Fortunately, no one was injured, and the works eventually continued,” UNIFIL says, condemning the Israeli conduct and asserting that it amounts to a violation of Security Council resolution 1701.
“We call on the IDF to cease attacks on or near [observer forces], civilians, and Lebanese soldiers and allow us to carry out our mandated tasks without obstruction,” UNIFIL says.
There was no immediate comment from the IDF.
UK foreign minister tells Sa’ar Labour labeling Gaza war ‘genocide’ doesn’t reflect gov’t policy
UK Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper told Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in a call earlier today that her Labour Party’s recent decision to recognize Israel’s war in Gaza as a genocide does not “reflect the government’s policy and the government dismissed them,” according to an Israeli readout.
Sa’ar says he thanked Cooper for making this clarification.
The Israeli foreign minister adds that the call came at Cooper’s initiative following yesterday’s terror attack in Manchester targeting a synagogue on Yom Kippur.
“I said that this is a decisive moment in the UK’s own history, for preserving its character, and it requires relentlessly combating the poisonous antisemitic movement,” Sa’ar says he told her. “I raised the need to fight the pro-Palestinian marches and protests, which bear antisemitic traits, and at times include explicit support for terror.”
Just spoke with UK Foreign Secretary @YvetteCooperMP, at her initiative, following the horrific anti-Semitic terror attack in Manchester.
I said that this is a decisive moment in the UK's own history, for preserving its character, and it requires relentlessly combating the… pic.twitter.com/Y58UCtuqd8— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) October 3, 2025
Erdogan tells Trump he welcomes peace efforts, but Israel must stop attacks for their success
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told US counterpart Donald Trump in a phone call earlier today that Turkey welcomed efforts to reach peace in the region, but that Israel must stop its attacks for efforts to be successful, the Turkish presidency said.
In a statement, the presidency says Erdogan told Trump in a call requested by the US side that Turkey would continue to support peace initiatives in the region and contribute to Trump’s vision for global peace.
It also says the two discussed bilateral ties, adding that Erdogan stressed the importance of taking steps to boost their cooperation, namely in the defense industry.
IDF footage shows navy detaining flotilla activists
An Israeli Navy sailor offers an activist a bottle of water after being detained while trying to break the Israeli maritime blockade on the Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
The IDF publishes footage showing Israeli Navy forces detaining activists on the Global Sumud Flotilla’s boats before they could reach the Gaza Strip over the past day.
The Navy intercepted a total of 42 boats, detaining over 470 activists who were taken to Ashdod Port to be deported.
The military says its name for the operation is “Horizon Shield.”
Israeli Navy troops detain activists seeking to break the Israeli maritime blockade on the Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
Father of Manchester terrorist praised Hamas on Oct. 7, later wrote: Release elderly, child hostages, ‘what you have done so far is a miracle’
Faraj Al-Shamie, father of the suspect in a deadly terror attack at a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur, October 2, 2025, seen in a video while working as a trauma surgeon in South Sudan nine years earlier. (Youtube screenshot)
The father of the terrorist who carried out the Manchester synagogue attack reportedly praised Hamas after October 7, and hailed Israel’s imminent demise, before later urging the group to release elderly people and children it took hostage.
In a Facebook post, uncovered by The Times of London, from the day of the onslaught, Faraj al-Shamie hailed the Hamas fighters invading Israel by land and air as “God’s men on earth,” adding that they “prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Israel will not remain.”
In a post three days later, the Times said, he wrote, “Release the elderly and children. What you have done so far is a miracle by all standards. Do not harm them in a moment of anger. They have no place in war.”
“May God grant you victory, support you, and guide you to the right path in a battle that history will record as the beginning of the liberation of Al-Aqsa, God willing,” he added.
Faraj al-Shamie also related to Iran’s attacks on Israel on his Facebook page, the Times said, writing: “We are waiting for more,” and “your goods are being returned to you.”
Shamie’s posts show that he has worked as a trauma surgeon in war zones, the Times noted, including in South Sudan during the civil war there.
Jihad al-Shamie, the suspect who carried out a deadly terrorist attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester, UK, on Yom Kippur, October 2, 2025. (Image circulated on social media used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
Earlier today, he condemned his son Jihad’s deadly attack on the Manchester synagogue as a “heinous act.”
Jihad targeted “peaceful, innocent civilians,” Faraj al-Shamie wrote on Facebook, saying on behalf of the family: “We fully distance ourselves from this attack and express our deep shock and sorrow over what has happened. Our hearts and thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we pray for their strength and comfort.”
IDF says it killed 20 Hamas operatives seeking to attack other Gazans in humanitarian zone
Some 20 armed Hamas terror operatives, who attempted to carry out a raid against other Gazans in the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza, were killed in drone strikes, the military says.
The military publishes footage of the strikes.
תיעוד: כוחות צה”ל חיסלו חוליית מחבלים מארגון הטרור חמאס שתכננה לבצע פשיטה למרחב הומניטרי בחאן יונס בו שוהים תושבים עזתים
היום, כלי טיס של חיל האוויר, בהכוונת אוגדת עזה (143), אמ״ן ושב”כ, חיסל חוליה חמושה של כ-20 מחבלים מארגון הטרור חמאס שניסתה לבצע פשיטה נגד תושבים עזתים ששהו… pic.twitter.com/nUjvIHsQ4A
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) October 3, 2025
Hossam al-Astal, who leads an armed group in the area, told The Times of Israel that his forces had thwarted a Hamas attack on a family with which the terror group is in dispute this morning, with air support from the IDF.
The Israeli military does not mention the armed group in its statement, but confirms it thwarted an attack on “Gazan residents” in the area.
The IDF says that after the drone strikes, several Hamas operatives were seen trying to use Palestinian children as human shields. The gunmen were killed in separate strikes minutes later, without harm being caused to the civilians, the military says.
In recent weeks, there have been repeated attempts by Hamas to prevent Palestinian civilians from heading to the humanitarian area in southern Gaza, the military says.
According to the IDF’s latest estimates, more than 870,000 Palestinians have evacuated Gaza City to the Strip’s south, out of around a million who were residing there before the army’s latest offensive against Hamas.
Trump gives Sunday deadline for Hamas to take his Gaza proposal or be ‘quickly extinguished’
US President Donald Trump walks to speak with reporters before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, on September 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
US President Donald Trump calls on Palestinian civilians to “immediately” evacuate to “safer parts of Gaza, while warning that Hamas has until 6 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday to accept his proposal for ending the war before “ALL HELL” breaks out against the terror group.
Trump writes on Truth Social that Hamas’s remaining fighters are “MILITARILY TRAPPED, just waiting for me to give the word, ‘GO,’ for their lives to be quickly extinguished.”
“As for the rest, we know where and who you are, and you will be hunted down, and killed,” the US president says.
“I am asking that all innocent Palestinians immediately leave this area of potentially great future death for safer parts of Gaza. Everyone will be well cared for by those that are waiting to help,” he adds.
Trump doesn’t specify from which parts of Gaza he wants civilians to flee, but he appears to be referring to Gaza City where hundreds of thousands still remain, as Israel advances its operation to take over what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims is Hamas’s last stronghold.
On Tuesday, Trump said that he would give Hamas three or four days to respond to his proposal and indicated that there wasn’t much more space for additional negotiations.
A source familiar with the talks told The Times of Israel on Thursday that Hamas was slated to soon respond positively to the US proposal while adding a series of amendments, a move likened to what Netanyahu managed to do in the days before the plan was unveiled on Monday when he secured key changes to the document.
Egyptian and Qatari officials have also indicated that they would like to make some changes to the proposal after fuming over the amendments that Netanyahu convinced the US to make.
It’s unclear whether the US will accept additional changes, though, as Trump indicates in his Truth Social post that his patience is running out.
“Fortunately for Hamas, however, they will be given one last chance! Great, powerful, and very rich nations of the Middle East, and the surrounding areas beyond, together with the United States of America, have agreed, with Israel signing on, to PEACE, after 3000 years, in the Middle East,” Trump writes.
“THIS DEAL ALSO SPARES THE LIVES OF ALL REMAINING HAMAS FIGHTERS! The details of the document are known to the WORLD, and it is a great one for ALL!” he adds, apparently referring to the clause granting amnesty to “peace committing” Hamas members and granting those of them who want to leave safe access to unnamed receiving countries.
“Hamas has been a ruthless and violent threat, for many years, in the Middle East! They have killed (and made lives unbearably miserable), culminating with the October 7th MASSACRE, in Israel, babies, women, children, old people, and many young men and women, boys and girls, getting ready to celebrate their future lives together.”
“As retribution for the October 7th attack on civilization, more than 25,000 Hamas ‘soldiers; have already been killed,” he says, reiterating a point he made during the unveiling of the US plan on Monday, potentially setting the stage to argue that Israel has caused enough damage to Hamas to declare victory — a stance voiced by the Biden administration as it sought to convince Israel to take a hostage deal that would end the war.
“We will have PEACE in the Middle East one way or the other. The violence and bloodshed will stop.”
“RELEASES THE HOSTAGES, ALL OF THEM, INCLUDING THE BODIES OF THOSE THAT ARE DEAD, NOW!”
“An agreement must be reached with Hamas by Sunday evening at SIX (6) p.m., Washington, D.C. time. Every Country has signed on!”
“If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas,” Trump wrote.
However, he has several times in recent months claimed to give Hamas a “final warning” to release the hostages, without following through on his threats.
On September 8, Trump wrote on Truth, “I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning. There will not be another one.”
On March 5, he wrote, “Release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you… This is your last warning!”
Signing off on his latest ultimatum, Trump writes, “THERE WILL BE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.”
Rabbi of Manchester synagogue recalls holding entry doors closed as terrorist tried to force his way in
Rabbi Daniel Walker (3L) stands among armed police officers as they talk with members of the Jewish community outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, north Manchester, on October 2, 2025, following a deadly terrorist attack at the synagogue. (Paul Currie / AFP)
Rabbi Daniel Walker, the rabbi of the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester, tells ITV News how he and members of his congregation prevented Jihad Al-Shamie, the terrorist who killed two and injured three in an attack outside the synagogue yesterday, from forcing his way into the building.
He recalls that “half an hour into the prayers, I heard an almighty bang from outside, shouting. Someone was trying to get in with a knife.”
“When he tried to get inside the synagogue, there was a large number of us trying to hold him off,” Walker says.
He says Al-Shamie was “shouting threats” as he tried to burst into the synagogue, where the community was gathered for Yom Kippur services to mark the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.
Al-Shamie was not successful in his attempt to force his way into the building, which Walker attributes to “the very, very brave men, security guard and volunteer [who] stopped him and blocked him literally with their bodies and are still in hospital.
Adrian Daulby, who along with Melvin Cravitz was killed in the attack, “defended the synagogue with his life,” says Walker.
Asked by ITV about whether the war in Gaza has impacted day-to-day life in his community, Walker confirms that they have “been feeling much less secure.”
Still, he says, “I didn’t think it would actually become something physical.”
Charges filed against IDF reservist and associate suspected of spying for Iran
Prosecutors file charges against an IDF reservist and his associate, accusing them of spying for Iran over the course of months.
Maor Kringel, 27, allegedly carried out espionage missions for Iranian agents starting in mid-2024 until his August arrest and later recruited the second defendant, Tal Amram, for the same purpose.
Kringel was on reserve duty for part of this time. At one point, his handler suggested he assassinate his commanding officer in return for NIS 100,000 ($30,000), but the accused did not follow through, the indictment notes.
The reservist nevertheless exploited his soldier status to share army base locations with his handlers. He also took photos of the Shin Bet headquarters and passed them along to the Iranian agents, prosecutors say.
When off-duty, Kringel passed along documentation of ports, shops, malls, private homes, public spaces, municipal and government buildings to the agents at their behest, the indictment continues.
In January, Kringel ramped up his espionage activities and recruited 26-year-old Tal Amram, putting him in contact with Iranian agents. The pair, who are both residents of Holon, allegedly burned IDF uniforms together in a grove in the city.
Kringel is charged with aiding an enemy during wartime, 26 counts of sharing intelligence that could assist the enemy and 12 counts of sharing intelligence with the enemy with the intent to harm national security.
Amram, who is not known to have gathered intelligence on Iran’s behalf, is charged with maintaining contact with a foreign agent.
The two are indicted in the Tel Aviv District Court and prosecutors request they remain in detention until the end of legal proceedings.
Starmer visits scene of Manchester synagogue terror attack
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria arrive to meet emergency workers near Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Manchester, England, October 3, 2025, where two people were killed in a terror attack on Thursday. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is visiting the scene of the terror attack outside the Manchester synagogue where two people were killed and three others seriously injured yesterday on Yom Kippur.
Starmer and his wife Victoria, who is Jewish, are seen shaking hands with emergency responders outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, north Manchester.
Starmer vowed yesterday to “do everything in my power” to protect Jews in Britain amid heightened fears for the community following the attack, which police have declared a “terrorist incident.”
‘Finally, blessedly, free’: Elizabeth Tsurkov makes first statement following release from Kataeb Hezbollah captivity
Elizabeth Tsurkov prior to her captivity in Iraq (Courtesy)
Elizabeth Tsurkov, the Russian-Israeli academic who was kidnapped by the Shiite militia Kataeb Hezbollah in Iraq in 2023 and released earlier this month, issues her first public statement since being freed on September 10, thanking the US for orchestrating it.
“Finally, blessedly, free after 903 days in captivity,” Tsurkov writes on X. “Thank you President @realDonaldTrump, for the decisive action that brought me home without anything given in return to the kidnappers, Kataeb Hezbollah.”
She says she is “deeply grateful” to US Special Envoy for Hostage Response, Adam Boehler, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for their efforts, as well.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who tried to help in any way,” adds Tsurkov.
Finally, blessedly, free after 903 days in captivity. Thank you President @realDonaldTrump, for the decisive action that brought me home without anything given in return to the kidnappers, Kataeb Hezbollah.
I am deeply grateful to Special Envoy for Hostage Response @aboehler,…— Elizabeth Tsurkov (@Elizrael) October 3, 2025
In a follow-up post in Hebrew, Tsurkov thanks Israel’s Hostage and Missing Persons Coordinator Gal Hirsch for working to secure his release, and her medical teams in Israel for the care she received upon her return.
“I have no words to describe the feeling of happiness of being free and being with my family,” she adds. “All the hostages and their families deserve to experience this feeling.
Notably, Tsurkov does not thank Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel was said to have had very little to do with freeing her, and the Times of Israel reported following her release that without the intervention and pressure of the US administration, she might have remained in captivity in Iraq for many more years.
Israeli citizen arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran at Dead Sea hotel
An Israeli citizen has been arrested on suspicion of intelligence-gathering at a Dead Sea hotel on Iran’s behalf, the Shin Bet and Israel Police say.
The 23-year-old suspect had worked at the hotel during the alleged espionage, in which he took photographs of the hotel’s premises and surrounding area, the security agencies say.
The exact circumstances of the suspect’s arrest are unclear, with police noting that their investigation is still ongoing.
The suspect represents one of dozens of Iranian espionage cases to be exposed over the past two years, as authorities intensify efforts to crack down on spies recruited online by Iranian agents.
Earlier this week, police announced they arrested two Holon residents suspected of photographing military bases and other locations in Israel for their Iranian handlers over the course of months.
Ben Gvir urges PM to throw flotilla activists in prison rather than deport them
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir declares that Israel should throw detained flotilla activists in prison for several months, rather than deporting them back to their home countries.
More than 470 activists were detained by the Israeli Navy aboard the 42 boats that made up the Global Sumud Flotilla on Wednesday night, and the Foreign Ministry said earlier that four have already been deported, and the rest are in the middle of deportation proceedings.
Ben Gvir, who leads the ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit party, says in a video statement that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was making a “mistake” by deporting them.
“I think they must be kept here for a few months in an Israeli prison, so that they get used to the smell of the terrorist wing,” he says.
He argues that Netanyahu can’t keep sending them back to their home countries, “as this makes them return again and again and again.”
החלטת ראש הממשלה לאפשר לתומכי הטרור שבמשט לחזור לארצותיהם – בטעות יסודה.
אני חושב שחייבים להשאיר אותם כמה חודשים כאן בכלא הישראלי, כדי שהם יריחו את הריח של אגף המחבלים.
הרי לא יכול להיות מצב שבו ראש הממשלה שולח אותם עוד פעם ועוד פעם ועוד פעם לארצותיהם – והשליחה הזו גורמת לכך… pic.twitter.com/2jnz04QwZ5
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) October 3, 2025
Father of Manchester synagogue terrorist says family shocked by his ‘heinous’ actions
Jihad al-Shamie, the suspect who carried out a deadly terrorist attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester, UK, on Yom Kippur, October 2, 2025. (Image circulated on social media used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
The family of Jihad Al-Shamie, who carried out the deadly terror attack on a Manchester synagogue yesterday, condemns his “heinous” actions, which they say have left them in “profound shock.”
“The news from Manchester regarding the terrorist attack targeting a Jewish synagogue has been a profound shock to us,” writes his father, Faraj Al-Shamie, on Facebook. “The Al-Shamie family in the UK and abroad strongly condemns this heinous act, which targeted peaceful, innocent civilians.
“We fully distance ourselves from this attack and express our deep shock and sorrow over what has happened. Our hearts and thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we pray for their strength and comfort,” he writes.
“May God have mercy on the innocent victims, and we pray for the swift recovery of the injured.”
Palestinian Authority condemns Manchester synagogue terror attack
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemns the terror attack at a Manchester synagogue yesterday in which two people were murdered.
In a statement, Abbas condemns the killing of “innocent civilians” and says that the Palestinian presidency “rejects harm to civilians in their homes and places of worship.”
“Solidarity with the Palestinian people must not be used to carry out acts of violence or antisemitic actions,” he adds.
The assailant, Jihad al-Shamie, was a British citizen of Syrian origin, and police have not publicly indicated the motive behind the attack.
Mossad reveals involvement in arrest of Hamas-linked cell in Germany on Wednesday
The Mossad says that it was involved in Wednesday’s arrest of a Hamas-linked cell in Germany that planned to carry out attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets.
The Israeli foreign intelligence service says the arrest was possible because of close coordination between the Mossad and Germany’s security and intelligence services.
German prosecutors said on Wednesday that they arrested three suspected foreign operatives of Hamas they believe were preparing a serious act of violence in Germany.
The three men are suspected by prosecutors of being involved in procuring firearms and ammunition for Hamas since at least the summer of this year, to be used for assassinations targeting Israeli or Jewish institutions in Germany.
“In the course of today’s arrests, various weapons, including an AK-47 assault rifle and several pistols, as well as a considerable amount of ammunition, were found,” said the federal prosecutors in a statement.
The three, identified in line with German privacy laws only as German citizen Abed Al G., Wael F. M., born in Lebanon, and German citizen Ahmad I., were arrested in Berlin.
The Mossad says that the effort to stop the cell spanned several countries, and is “part of an extensive Mossad effort throughout Europe during which weapons caches were located and further arrests were made of operatives suspected of terrorist offenses.”
Leader of armed Gazan group claims it foiled Hamas attack with IDF assistance
Hossam al-Astal, who leads an armed group supported by Israel east of Khan Younis, tells The Times of Israel that they thwarted a Hamas attack this morning in al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, with the assistance of the IDF.
Al-Astal says that at 6 a.m. this morning, Hamas operatives arrived in al-Mawasi and opened fire, launching RPGs toward an area where members of the al-Majaida family, whom the terror group was targeting, were present.
The al-Majaida family has been warring with Hamas for several weeks, ever since operatives shot several family members in the leg for unclear reasons, al-Astal says. He says the group has also claimed the family is collaborating with Israel and stealing humanitarian aid.
He says his forces came to the family’s assistance, and with the help of Israeli air support, they were able to strike the entire Hamas unit.
Eleven Hamas operatives were killed and six were seriously wounded, he says, as well as one member of the Majaida family who fought against them. His own forces sustained no casualties.
Social media accounts affiliated with Hamas also report on the attack, but claim that although members of Hamas’s armed wing were killed, Hamas managed to kill several members of the al-Majaida family, whom they accused of collaborating with Israel.
Al-Astal publishes photos on his Facebook page of the alleged Hamas operatives killed in the foiled attack, some wearing military vests and headbands of Hamas’s armed wing. This is the first reported case of a Hamas attack in Gaza being openly thwarted by a Palestinian armed group.
The IDF has not issued a response.
هنا نشاهد اعتداء مليشيا #حماس – وتحديدًا من #وحدة_سهم – على خيام النازحين من عائلة المجايدة.
خلفية الاعتداء تعود إلى قيام عناصر حماس بقتل شاب من العائلة عمدًا ودون أي تهمة، ما دفع شقيق الضحية إلى قتل القاتل المنتسب لوحدة "سهم".
وبعد ذلك، فجرًا، حشدت #حماس عددًا كبيرًا من عناصرها… pic.twitter.com/9wo4yaQwHX— الناشط حمزة المصري (@hamza198708) October 3, 2025
High Court says it won’t freeze Zini’s appointment as Shin Bet director while considering petitions against him
Designated head of the Shin Bet security agency David Zini seen with ultra-Orthodox soldiers from the IDF's Hasmonean Brigade, at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, on August 6, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
The High Court of Justice says it sees no reason to freeze the entry into office of new Shin Bet chief David Zini while it considers petitions submitted earlier this week asking the court to annul the appointment.
Judge Chaled Kabub notes pointedly that the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee, headed by former Supreme Court President Asher Grunis,found no ethical problems with Zini’s appointment, as the petitioners claim, and that the Attorney General’s Office found no legal obstacle.
The petitioners, including government watchdog groups, argued that Zini’s appointment was flawed due to a conflict of interest owing to the Qatargate and Bild investigations into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s close aides, and concerns over Zini’s conduct as well.
Kabub does, however, agree to hear the petitions and sets a court hearing for the petitions to be held before the end of November.
Charges filed against man suspected of transporting terrorists who carried out Ramot Junction attack
Police and rescue personnel at the scene of a terror attack at Ramot Junction, Jerusalem, September 8, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Prosecutors have filed charges against Nader Muhtaseb, who is suspected of transporting the two terrorists who carried out a deadly shooting attack in Jerusalem last month.
The 29-year-old East Jerusalemite is accused of dropping the two terrorists at Ramot Junction, where they opened fire on civilians, killing six and injuring a dozen more before they were shot dead by bystanders.
According to the indictment filed against him today, Muhtaseb was contacted by a go-between who arranges transportation for Palestinians residing illegally in Israel and offered NIS 400 for the job.
Prosecutors say that while driving the two to the junction, Muhtaseb took note of their bags and requested the pair open them.
When they refused, the driver apparently began to suspect that they were carrying firearms. He nevertheless transported them after a conversation with the broker, however.
Upon later realizing that the passengers had carried out the shooting that morning, Muhtaseb destroyed his phone, which contained the correspondence arranging the ride, and disposed of its remains.
He is charged in the Jerusalem District Court with unlawful transportation, reckless manslaughter, causing serious injury and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors request that he remain in detention until the end of the proceedings against him.
Far-left activists block entrance to IDF logistics route on Gaza border
Far-left activists are protesting on the border with the Gaza Strip, blocking an entrance leading to an army logistics route.
The protesters are holding signs reading “Stop the genocide in Gaza,” “Stop Zionist terrorism,” and “Free Palestine.”
Soldiers in the area claim that the protests are preventing logistics supplies from entering Gaza and troops from leaving the Strip.
In response to a query by The Times of Israel, the IDF says some 30 civilians reached the Gaza border barrier — built inside Israeli territory — near the southern community of Sufa, an area that is a closed military zone.
“Police and IDF forces in the area prevented the civilians from entering the Strip’s territory,” the army says, adding that it “emphasizes that any entry into a closed military area is prohibited and approaching the barrier area is dangerous and interferes with the activities of the security forces in the area.”
Now: activists protest at the Gaza fence, calling to end the genocide and to release the Flotilla activists arrested yesterday pic.twitter.com/1p4fswD62H
— Oren Ziv (@OrenZiv_) October 3, 2025
מהבוקר: מפגינים "נגד הטרור הציוני" מנסים לחסום את מעבר הגבול לרצועה – בכניסה לציר מורג. לוחמי מילואים מאוגדת עזה ומהיחידות שמתמרנות בחאן יונס מנסים להשתלט על האירוע כדי לסיים בזמן את החלפת המשמרות, ולהכניס את השיירות הלוגיסטיות כמתוכנן. pic.twitter.com/2Xm1toSqCb
— ינון שלום יתח (@inon_yttach) October 3, 2025
One victim in Manchester synagogue terror attack likely accidentally shot by cop, police say
One of the victims in the Manchester synagogue attack yesterday was likely shot by police, says Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson in an update.
One of the victims suffered a gunshot wound, says the Home Office Pathologist, and according to police, the suspect, Jihad al-Shamie, did not have a gun.
“The only shots fired were from GMP’s Authorised Firearms Officers as they worked to prevent the offender from entering the synagogue and causing further harm to our Jewish community,” says Watson. “It follows, therefore, that subject to further forensic examination, this injury may sadly have been sustained as a tragic and unforeseen consequence of the urgently required action taken by my officers to bring this vicious attack to an end.”
One of the three wounded in the attack also suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound, says Watson.
“It is believed that both victims were close together behind the synagogue door, as worshippers acted bravely to prevent the attacker from gaining entry.”
“Our thoughts and prayers remain with all of the families, and the wider community, impacted by this incident across Greater Manchester and beyond,” Watson continues. “Specialist officers are providing support and care for all of those directly affected, including our brave first responders.”
Four Global Sumud Flotilla activists have been deported from Israel, Foreign Ministry says
Four activists from the flotilla that attempted to break the Israeli maritime blockade on the Gaza Strip have already been deported from the country, Israel’s Foreign Ministry says.
More than 470 activists were detained on the Global Sumud Flotilla’s 42 ships that were intercepted by the Israeli Navy.
The ministry says “procedures are underway to wrap up the Hamas-Sumud provocation and to finalize the deportation of the participants in this sham.”
“Already four Italian citizens have been deported. The rest are in the process of being deported. Israel is keen to end this procedure as quickly as possible,” it says.
The ministry attached photos of Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg and other activists upon their arrival in Israel yesterday. “All are safe and in good health,” the ministry adds.
Procedures are under way to wrap up the Hamas-Sumud provocation and to finalize the deportation of the participants in this sham.
Already 4 Italian citizens have been deported. The rest are in the process of being deported. Israel is keen to end this procedure as quickly as… pic.twitter.com/LeM1R25jTP
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) October 3, 2025
Israel-designated zones in southern Gaza are ‘places of death,’ UN declares
Tents sheltering people displaced by conflict are pitched in the yard of a school run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on September 30, 2025. (Omar Al-Qattaa / AFP)
The United Nations insists there is no safe place for Palestinians ordered to leave Gaza City and that Israel-designated humanitarian zones in the south are “places of death.”
“The notion of a safe zone in the south is farcical,” UNICEF spokesman James Elder tells reporters in Geneva, speaking from the Gaza Strip, pointing out that “bombs are dropped from the sky with chilling predictability; schools, which had been designated as temporary shelters are regularly reduced to rubble, (and) tents… are regularly engulfed in fire from air attacks.”
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have fled Gaza City in recent weeks amid a new IDF offensive there. The military has urged them to move south, to a newly-established humanitarian zone in Khan Younis.
The IDF during the war has declared several “humanitarian zones” in southern Gaza, where most aid is directed to and no ground operations are carried out.
However, airstrikes against Hamas targets — including rocket launchers and the terror group’s top military commander Muhammad Deif — have been conducted in the humanitarian zones, with the IDF saying it takes extra precautions to mitigate civilian harm when attacking there.
Sarah Mullally named as Archbishop of Canterbury, becoming the first woman to hold the post
Then-Bishop of London Sarah Mullally participates in a Service of Prayer and Reflection, following the passing of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, at St Paul's Cathedral in London, September 9, 2022. (Paul Childs/Pool via AP)
Britain has appointed Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury on Friday, the first time a woman has been named leader of the Church of England in the 1,400 year history of the role.
Mullally also becomes the ceremonial head of some 85 million Anglicans worldwide, with the appointment of a woman risking deeper theological divides with some of the more conservative branches of the church in African nations.
Reforms introduced 11 years ago made it possible for a woman to hold the office, and by being named as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, Mullally becomes the female leader of one of the last areas of British public life to have only been led by men.
But for Anglicans globally, about two-thirds of whom live in countries like Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda, the appointment of the first female Archbishop could further highlight their differences with the mother church in England.
Mullally, 63, is a former nurse who worked as England’s Chief Nursing Officer in the early 2000s. She has advocated for creating an open and transparent culture in churches that allows for difference and disagreement.
“There are great commonalities between nursing and being a priest. It’s all about people, and sitting with people during the most difficult times in their lives,” she once told a magazine.
Reflecting the Church of England’s status as England’s established church, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office announces the decision with the formal consent of King Charles.
As monarch, Charles is the supreme governor of the Church of England, a role established in the 16th century when King Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church.
The Church of England has been without a leader since last November when Justin Welby resigned over a child abuse cover-up scandal.
Dutch high court orders government to reevaluate license to export F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel
The highest court in the Netherlands orders the Dutch government to re-evaluate its currently suspended license for exporting parts for F-35 fighter jets to Israel in response to concerns they could be used in breaches of international law.
The Supreme Court says an export suspension remains in place while the government reassesses the license.
The Supreme Court says an appeals court in The Hague overstepped its authority when it banned the transfer of F-35 parts to Israel in February 2024, citing concerns they could be used in breaches of international law.
The ruling led the government to suspend the exports.
Supreme Court Vice-President Martijn Polak says the government now has six weeks to re-evaluate the license.
PM’s office: Israel waiting for official Hamas response to Trump’s Gaza plan
Israel is currently waiting for Hamas’s official response to US President Donald Trump’s proposal to end the war in Gaza, The Prime Minister’s Office tells The Times of Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted the outline earlier this week in Washington.
“We don’t have an assessment regarding what their answer will be,” says the PMO.
A senior Hamas official tells the Saudi Asharq channel that the terror group has told mediators that it needs more time for internal deliberations on Trump’s plan.
In the meantime, says the PMO, the military operation in Gaza is moving ahead: “Israel hasn’t left Gaza and is continuing with its plans.”
New flotilla is heading for Gaza in attempt to break blockade, activists say
This screenshot from a livestream on October 3, 2025, shows the Conscience ship, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition which claims to be heading to the Gaza Strip. (Screenshot: YouTube)
Another flotilla is heading toward the Gaza Strip in an attempt to break the Israeli maritime blockade on the territory, according to activists.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition says the Conscience boat departed Italy on Wednesday with some 100 activists aboard. The group claims “many of them” are healthcare workers and journalists.
Conscience joins another eight boats that set sail from Italy nearly a week ago.
The nine ships are currently off the coast of the Greek Island of Crete, according to live tracking data.
The ships are expected to be intercepted by the Israeli Navy should they continue to approach Gaza. Over the past day, 42 boats of the Global Sumud Flotilla were all intercepted by the Navy and some 470 activists were detained.
Armed Hamas operatives who approached troops in Gaza City killed in drone strike, IDF says
Two Hamas operatives armed with an RPG and another firearm who approached troops of the Kfir Brigade in Gaza City were killed in a drone strike, the military says, publishing footage of the incident.
According to the IDF, during scans by troops in the area using a drone, two armed operatives were spotted approaching them. The troops then called in an Israeli Air Force Hermes 450 UAV to strike them.
Syrian Jew living in the US announces candidacy for Syria’s parliamentary elections
Henry Hamra, a Jew of Syrian origin who resides in the United States, is running for a seat in the Syrian parliament representing the Damascus district. The elections are scheduled for October 5.
In his campaign announcement, Hamra pledges to work with the Syrian community in the United States to abolish the “Caesar Act,” which imposes economic sanctions on Syria without conditions.
Hamra fled Damascus with his father, Rabbi Yusuf Hamra, in 1992 at the age of 15. They returned on a visit in February.
At its peak, the Jewish community in Syria numbered some 100,000 Jews, but today, only a handful remain.
نحو #سوريا مزدهرة ومتسامحة وعادلة
هنري حمرة من #دمشق
مرشح #مجلس_الشعب pic.twitter.com/LQVI4YIpzm— الحملة الانتخابية لهنري حمره مرشح مجلس الشعب (@henryhamrasy) October 2, 2025
Final vessel from Gaza flotilla intercepted by Israeli Navy, livestream shows
Israeli Navy troops board the Marinette vessel, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, in the Mediterranean Sea, October 3, 2025 (Global Sumud Flotilla)
The final vessel from the flotilla that attempted to break the Israeli maritime blockade on the Gaza Strip has been intercepted by the Israeli Navy, according to a livestream.
The Marinette had mechanical issues and lagged behind the main armada of 41 ships, all of which were intercepted and taken over by the Israeli Navy yesterday.
Footage shows forces from the Shayetet 13 naval commando unit boarding the boat.
Israeli Navy troops board the Marinette vessel, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, in the Mediterranean Sea, October 3, 2025 (Global Sumud Flotilla)
Emails containing patient medical information leaked in cyberattack on Israeli hospital
An initial probe into the cyberattack on the Assaf Harofeh Medical Center yesterday has indicated that emails sent to and from the hospital on September 25 were leaked in the attack, the Health Ministry and National Cyber Directorate say in a joint update.
Medical information included in those emails was also leaked, they say, but there is currently no indication that any data stored in the hospital’s main medical information management system was leaked.
The two bodies said yesterday that the attack was “blocked in its initial stages,” and reports suggested that the hospital’s core operations were able to continue uninterrupted.
According to a Ynet report yesterday, the cyber attack was carried out by Qilin, a Russian-speaking cybercrime organization thought to be based in Eastern Europe. The group also hacked into London hospitals last year, according to The Guardian, stopping tests and operations.
Hamas official says group still needs time to study Trump’s Gaza plan
A Hamas official tells AFP that the group needed more time to study a Gaza peace plan put forward by US President Donald Trump and backed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Hamas is still continuing consultations regarding Trump’s plan… and has informed mediators that the consultations are ongoing and need some time,” the official says on condition of anonymity.
Trump on Tuesday gave Hamas an ultimatum of “three or four days” to accept his plan to end the war in the Palestinian enclave.
A source familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel yesterday that the terror group would respond “positively” to the proposal but will submit a series of amendments.
Jacob Magid contributed to this report.
Settler group builds sukkahs on the Gaza border, demand to spend holiday at site of former Nisanit settlement
A view of the sukkahs set up by Nachala, a radical settlement movement, on the Gaza border overnight as they campaign to spend the upcoming Sukkot holiday on the ruins of the former Gaza settlement of Nisanit, on October 3, 2025. (Tehilla Makler, Nachala Movement)
Dozens of right-wing settler activists, supported by far-right MK Limor Son Har-Melech, set up an encampment less than a kilometer from the border with northern Gaza, saying they are demanding the government allow them to celebrate the Sukkot holiday on the ruins of the former Gaza settlement of Nisanit.
According to the radical settlement movement Nachala, 11 families from a cadre dubbed “Gaza Pioneers” established the encampment overnight Thursday, together with dozens of settler youths, and erected several Sukkahs, the temporary outdoor huts used during the upcoming holiday of Sukkot.
Son Har-Melech and the Nachala movement, which organized the endeavor, also called on the government to “stop the dangerous Trump plan” and “immediately enable Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip.”
Nachala has campaigned for the establishment of Jewish settlements inside Gaza since the early months of the war against Hamas, sparked by its attack inside Israel on October 7, 2023, and has come out strongly against the US-brokered plan for an end to the conflict unveiled earlier this week.
“At this very moment, when a terrible deal is on the table that misses the historic opportunity to right the wrong done in the expulsion [the 2005 Gaza Disengagement] while also ensuring the safety and security of Israeli citizens, and preserving the achievements of the soldiers, I see in the amazing families of the Gaza Pioneers cadre, led by the Nachala movement, the great story of our generation,” says Son Har-Melech.
Nachala Co-Chairman Zvi Elimelech Sharbaf says his organization was “Calling on the government to win the war by establishing Jewish settlement throughout the Gaza Strip and not to submit to the Americans’ dictates of surrender,” adding, “Trump’s plan to end the war is a national disaster and will bring upon us another massacre, God forbid.”
Last week, Nachala called the Trump plan for ending the conflict “an awful capitulation,” which “if implemented will bring about the next massacre,” and insisted that “the only victory is the conquest of all of Gaza, the expulsion of the enemy, it has already been proven that all Gazans are the enemy, and Jewish settlement in the entire Gaza strip.”
Boat from intercepted Gaza flotilla docks in Cyprus
A boat from a flotilla that had attempted to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza and was intercepted by Israel, has docked in Cyprus, the Mediterranean island’s government says.
The vessel carrying 21 foreigners requested to dock in Larnaca for refuelling and humanitarian reasons, a government spokesperson says on X.
The spokesperson does not identify the boat or say whether it was among those intercepted by the Israeli Navy.
After registering all the passengers, Cyprus provided for their basic needs and offered consular assistance, he adds.
UK to step up efforts to tackle antisemitism after Manchester synagogue attack, home secretary says
British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood says the government will step up its efforts to tackle antisemitism in the country after two men were killed in a terror attack outside Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue in Manchester yesterday.
“We will redouble our efforts,” Mahmood tells Times Radio. “We will, of course, now review all of the work that we do to tackle antisemitism.”
Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, were killed in the stabbing and car ramming attack outside the synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.
The attacker has been named as Jihad al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent.
Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, named as Manchester synagogue attack victims
Members of the media gather by the police cordon next to Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur, October 2, 2025, following a terrorist attack at the synagogue. (Oli Scarff / AFP)
Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, are named as the two men killed in a terror attack outside Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue in Manchester, police say.
Greater Manchester Police says in a statement that their families are being supported by their liaison officers.
Police say 470 Gaza flotilla activists processed ahead of deportation
Police say 470 activists detained by the Israeli Navy on the large flotilla attempting to break the Israeli maritime blockade on the Gaza Strip were processed by law enforcement.
More than 600 police officers, along with prison officials and immigration representatives, were deployed to Ashdod Port to receive the detained activists, police say.
The activists from the 41 boats underwent a “thorough inspection process,” police say, adding that they were handed over to the Population and Immigration Authority and the Israel Prison Service for further processing before deportation.
One vessel from the Global Sumud Flotilla is still making its way to Gaza and is expected to be intercepted by the Navy if it continues to approach.
Anti-Israel activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla are processed at Ashdod Port after they were detained while trying to break Israel’s maritime blockade on Hamas-ruled Gaza, October 2, 2025. (Israel Police)
IDF airstrikes hit Hezbollah terror site in area of Beaufort in south Lebanon
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on the outskirts of the southern Lebanese village of Jarmaq, on September 28, 2025. (Rabih DAHER / AFP)
A Hezbollah facility in the Beaufort Castle area in south Lebanon was targeted in an airstrike this morning, the military says.
The site, which the IDF struck previously in May and June, was used by the terror group to “manage its fire and defense array,” according to the military.
The IDF says it detected “terror activity” at the Hezbollah site, and this morning, hit weapons, buildings, and underground infrastructure in the area.
Hamas sent initial comments to US on Trump’s Gaza plan via Qatar — report
The Lebanese newspaper al-Akhbar reports that Hamas’s preliminary remarks on the American plan for Gaza were conveyed to President Donald Trump by the emir of Qatar in a phone call yesterday.
The paper also reports, citing its sources, that American officials made clear to Cairo that the Trump plan is “the last opportunity” before they allow Israel to carry out a large-scale military operation in Gaza to eliminate Hamas and other terrorist organizations there.
Palestinian envoy to UK condemns Yom Kippur attack on Manchester synagogue
Palestinian Ambassador to the UK Husam Zomlot condemns the deadly attack on Jewish worshippers outside a synagogue in Manchester, which took place on Yom Kippur.
“No one should ever feel unsafe in their home or at their place of worship,” Zomlot tweets.
“My deepest condolences go to the victims and families of today’s heinous attack in Manchester.”
“Violence against civilians must be condemned without hesitation or exception. We stand firm in upholding the rule of law everywhere, rejecting dehumanization, and affirming the equal humanity of all,” the Palestinian envoy adds.
Frenchwoman who escaped Nazi massacre dies aged 100
Camille Senon, a feminist and union activist who narrowly escaped the Nazi massacre in her French village of Oradour-sur-Glane died on Thursday aged 100, the mayor’s office says.
Senon was a young woman when the Third Reich’s elite SS unit marched into Oradour on June 10, 1944, killing 642 villagers, including all of her family.
“I was working in Limoges, but I would return to Oradour at the weekend. That day I took the tramway as usual, and we quickly saw the black smoke in the distance,” Senon told AFP in 2017.
“They kept us several hours, explaining to us what they had done to Oradour and letting us believe that maybe they would kill us too,” she recounted.
Très triste d’apprendre, le décès de Camille Senon, dernière rescapée du tramway d’Oradour-sur-Glane, et icône du syndicalisme à la Cgt. pic.twitter.com/ADxtRDEHPs
— Franck Petit (@f3_franckpetit) October 2, 2025
“What I saw next is hard to speak of. There was not a soul left alive.”
Most of the victims were women and children.
After the defeat of Nazi Germany and the liberation of France, Senon joined the CGT union and the Communist Party.
She rose up the male-dominated ranks of the trade union movement to head one of the CGT’s most important women’s sections in Paris.
Throughout her life, Senon, who styled herself as an “eternal rebel”, never gave up fighting for women’s rights.
“When I started working, you have to imagine… women still had to ask their boss for permission to get married! Misogyny and everyday sexism were everywhere, including in trade unions,” said Senon, who celebrated her 100th birthday in June.
In 2014, she ran for municipal elections in Limoges on a left-wing ticket and protested against a visit to the city by Dieudonne, a comic and controversialist convicted for hate speech, antisemitism and advocating terrorism.
Two years later, she refused France’s National Order of Merit, saying she did not want to “renounce my entire life of activism for greater justice and solidarity, freedom, fraternity and peace.”
“It’s important to remind young people not to compromise their values and to remain optimistic, whatever the circumstances,” she said.
“Because even if the world we are facing is worrying, life has shown me that it is never time to despair.”
Police use tear gas and water cannons on Gaza protest in Geneva
Police sprayed tear gas on protesters in Geneva, Switzerland on Thursday evening who were marching in support of the Gaza flotilla, eyewitnesses tell Reuters, which the police confirmed.
“We were retreating and suddenly got heavily gassed,” a eye witness tells Reuters, describing a burning sensation in their eyes and difficult breathing.
Israel’s interception of the flotilla sparked protests in Geneva and Bern, as well as in Italy and Colombia on Thursday.
A photo shared with Reuters by a eyewitness in Geneva shows a large plume of white smoke coming from a street filled with protesters, which they described as tear gas.
Tear gas,water cannons trucks. it was peaceful and ended ugly..shame .. there was no reason for what happened..they could have used microphones to disperse people.. no one knew what was happening.. they caged people from all side.Geneva came out in solidarity with Gaza 02.10.2025 pic.twitter.com/0NoOoQyEE3
— Dr. Hana S. El-Gallal د. هناء القلال (@hacare) October 2, 2025
A second eyewitness tells Reuters that they saw a large white vehicle spray water on the front line of protesters, which a video shared by the Swiss national broadcaster RTS also showed.
Alexandre Brahier, spokesperson for the Geneva police says that around 3,000 people, mostly adults and young men had joined the protest.
“We had to use control measures including tear gas and water cannons,” he says, adding that protesters were not carrying dangerous arms but were “throwing things”, causing some damage to property spraying graffiti.
Such confrontations are rare for Switzerland although pro-Gaza protests have been gathering momentum in recent weeks.
“Large protests are to be expected in big cities but it’s not every day that we need to resort to control measures like this,” Brahier adds.
Mobile phone footage shared with Reuters shows flares being thrown amidst the crowd, as hundreds of people moving down a crammed street in central Geneva.
1 vessel from Gaza aid flotilla appears to still be sailing toward Strip after navy interception
This screenshot from Global Sumud Flotilla's livestream shows the Marinette ship sailing, early October 3, 2025. (Screen capture/YouTube)
One vessel from the flotilla that attempted to break the Israeli maritime blockade on the Gaza Strip is still sailing, according to tracking data and a live stream.
The Marinette apparently had mechanical issues and lagged behind the main armada of over 40 ships, all of which were intercepted and taken over by the Israeli Navy.
According to Global Sumud Flotilla, the Marinette is currently some 80 nautical miles from Gaza.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry warned earlier that if the last ship approaches Gaza, “its attempt to enter an active combat zone and breach the blockade will also be prevented.”
UK chief rabbi after Yom Kippur synagogue attack: ‘This is day we knew would come’
Following the deadly terror attack at a Manchester synagogue that killed two and injured four during Yom Kippur services, British Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis says the toxic environment of Jew hatred in the country made such an event all but inevitable.
“This is the day we hoped we would never see, but which deep down, we knew would come,” Mirvis posts on X. “For so long we have witnessed an unrelenting wave of Jew hatred on our streets, on campuses, on social media and elsewhere – this is the tragic result. This is not only an assault on the Jewish community, but an attack on the very foundations of humanity and the values of compassion, dignity and respect which we all share.”
Mirvis says he spoke with Rabbi Daniel Walker, the spiritual leader of the Heaton Park Synagogue, who was hailed by witnesses as a hero for barricading the doors to the synagogue to stop the attacker from getting inside the sanctuary.
“His courageous leadership, together with the resilience of his congregation, are an inspiration to us all,” Mirvis writes.
“May the victims’ memories be for a blessing and may the injured be granted a swift recovery,” Mirvis concludes. “I pray that this tragedy strengthens our collective resolve to confront antisemitism, in all its guises, once and for all.”
Our hearts are shattered.
Emerging from the holy fast of Yom Kippur, British Jews are now grasping the full extent of today’s terror attack at the Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester.
This is the day we hoped we would never see, but which deep down, we knew would come.
For…
— Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis (@chiefrabbi) October 2, 2025
Organizers spurn UK police’s plea to shelve anti-Israel rally after synagogue attack
Organizers of a protest against the UK’s ban on the Palestine Action group have rejected London police’s plea to shelve their rally in the wake of a deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue over Yom Kippur, The Guardian reports.
Postponing the planned Saturday rally would allow law enforcement to focus on protecting Jewish and Muslim communities in wake of the attack, police said in their letter to the organizers.
But organizers nevertheless reject the police’s request and say they will go ahead with the weekend demonstration, which is expected to draw a massive crowd.
In a letter to the Metropolitan police, the organizing group Defend Our Juries reportedly urges officers to “prioritize protecting the community rather than arresting those peacefully holding signs in opposition to the absurd and draconian ban of a domestic direct action group.”
While condemning the Manchester synagogue attack that left two dead and four seriously injured, the activist group insists that it is up to law enforcement whether it wants to dispatch police to secure the protest.
“It appears the political oversight in proscribing Palestine Action, which aimed to save lives in Palestine, is taking away from the police protecting the community from those who seek to take lives,” their letter continues, as quoted by UK outlets.
Worshiper at Manchester synagogue says congregants ensured doors and windows were shut before attack
British police near the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, north Manchester, on October 2, 2025, following a terror attack targeting the synagogue during Yom Kippur services. (Oli Scarff/AFP)
A worshiper at the Manchester synagogue recounts being inside the Jewish house of worship for Yom Kippur services when it was attacked by a terrorist.
“We’d already made sure that the doors and windows were shut,” Rob Kanter tells the Guardian, adding that after they heard gunshots, police entered the synagogue to escort the congregation to safety.
According to Kanter, his first reaction upon hearing the shots was “how are we going to keep ourselves and everyone else safe?” Despite initially feeling “bewildered” as they heard the attack outside, he says the atmosphere inside the synagogue was “actually relatively calm.”
“I would say the mood amongst our fellow congregants was very calm, and everyone deals with these things in their own way,” Kanter adds. “Some people get through this in a very quiet way, others like to talk, some people even try and use an element of humor just to keep themselves going.”
He also says the rabbi tried to continue the service after worshipers were led away from the shul by police, “because at the end of the day, because it’s awkward, and it’s difficult, people have got a multitude of emotions going on, but we carried on, and did not [perform] the whole service, but we did what we could in the circumstances.”
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