Sept. 29: Palestinian Authority welcomes Trump’s ‘sincere and determined efforts’ to end Gaza war

UK’s Starmer calls for all sides to work together to implement Trump’s Gaza plan

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomes US President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war in Gaza with a new plan.

“We call on all sides to come together and to work with the US Administration to finalize this agreement and bring it into reality. Hamas should now agree to the plan and end the misery, by laying down their arms and releasing all remaining hostages,” Starmer says.

He says that the UK is ready to work with its partners to “deliver a sustainable peace, where Palestinians and Israelis can live side by side in safety and security.”

Palestinian Authority welcomes Trump’s ‘sincere and determined efforts’ to end Gaza war

The Palestinian Authority welcomes United States President Donald Trump’s “sincere and determined efforts,” following his announcement of Washington’s plan to end the war in Gaza.

The PA says in a statement that it “welcomes the sincere and determined efforts of President Donald J Trump to end the war on Gaza, and affirms its confidence in his ability to find a path toward peace.”

The governing body vows to work with American, regional, and other partners on a comprehensive deal that delivers aid to Gaza, frees the hostages held there as well as Palestinian security prisoners held in Israeli prisons, ensures IDF withdrawal, and advances a two-state solution alongside internal reforms, swift elections, and building a democratic, demilitarized state.

Eight Arab, Islamic foreign ministers praise Trump’s Gaza plan, say ready to work with US to actualize it

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Qatar, and Egypt issue a joint statement welcoming US President Donald Trump’s “sincere efforts” to end the war in Gaza “and assert their confidence in his ability to find a path to peace.”

“They emphasize the importance of the partnership with the United States in securing peace in the region,” the eight countries’ top diplomats say.

The Arab and Muslim foreign ministers take particular note of the plan’s envisioning of an end to the war, the rebuilding of Gaza, the prevention of the displacement of Palestinians and the advancement of a comprehensive peace process.

They also hail his announcement last week that he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank.

“The ministers affirm their readiness to engage positively and constructively with the United States and the parties toward finalizing the agreement and ensuring its implementation, in a manner that ensures peace, security, and stability for the peoples of the region,” the joint statement says.

“They reaffirm their joint commitment to work with the United States to end the war in Gaza through a comprehensive deal that ensures unrestricted delivery of sufficient humanitarian aid to Gaza, no displacement of the Palestinians, the release of hostages, a security mechanism that guarantees the security of all sides, full Israeli withdrawal, rebuilds Gaza and creates a path for a just peace on the basis of the two state solution, under which Gaza is fully integrated with the West Bank in a Palestinian state in accordance with international law as key to achieving regional stability and security,” the foreign ministers add.

Witkoff says Gaza plan assures Palestinian self-determination

WASHINGTON — Pressed on whether the US plan for ending the war in Gaza includes assurances for Palestinian self-determination, US special envoy Steve Witkoff responds, “Of course.”

“They just have to prove,” he begins before shifting slightly. “We have to set up success for them… This is a complicated deal to hand off from one government to another,” Witkoff says.

“All of the stakeholders in this… they want to see it happen. And the president believes it’s going to happen, and is dug in. That’s what really gives me hope. He gets to the finish line,” Witkoff says outside the White House.

Some Gazans declare Trump’s Gaza plan a ‘farce’ and ‘unrealistic’; others dare to hope

Residents of war-torn Gaza express skepticism over the latest peace plan unveiled by US President Donald Trump, dismissing it as a farce that fails to end the war.

“It’s clear that this plan is unrealistic,” 39-year-old Ibrahim Joudeh tells AFP from his shelter in the so-called humanitarian zone of Al-Mawasi in south Gaza.

“It’s drafted with conditions that the US and Israel know Hamas will never accept. For us, that means the war and the suffering will continue,” says the computer programmer, originally from the southern city of Rafah, devastated by a military offensive that began in May.

Abu Mazen Nassar, 52, is equally pessimistic and fears that the plan aimed to trick Palestinian terror groups into releasing hostages held in Gaza, and no peace in return.

“This is all manipulation. What does it mean to hand over all the prisoners without official guarantees to end the war?” says Nassar, displaced from his home in north Gaza in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah.

“We as a people will not accept this farce,” he says, adding that “whatever Hamas decides now about the deal, it’s too late.”

“Hamas has lost us and drowned us in the flood it created.”

Some, like Anas Sorour, a 31-year-old street vendor from the south Gazan city of Khan Younis also displaced to Al-Mawasi, dares to hope.

“Despite everything we’ve lived through and lost in this war… I still have hope,” Sorour tells AFP.

“No war lasts forever. This time I am very optimistic, and God willing it will be a moment of joy that makes us forget our pain and our anguish,” he adds.

But others like 29-year-old homemaker Najwa Muslim, can no longer imagine anything changing.

“I haven’t only lost faith in the deal; I’ve lost faith in life”, Muslim tells AFP from central Gaza, where she sought refuge after being displaced from Gaza City, currently under a massive Israeli military offensive.

“If there was a real intention to stop the war, they wouldn’t have waited this long. That’s why I don’t believe any of their words.”

Mohammed al-Beltaji, a 47-year-old from Gaza City, summarizes his view of negotiations to AFP.

“As always, Israel agrees, then Hamas refuses — or the other way around. It’s all a game, and we, the people, are the ones paying the price.”

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Islamic Jihad says Trump’s Gaza plan ‘a formula for igniting the region’

The Islamic Jihad terror group slams US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war, saying it would fuel further aggression against Palestinians.

“It is a recipe for continued aggression against the Palestinian people. Through this, Israel is attempting — via the United States — to impose what it could not achieve through war,” the group says in a statement. “Therefore, we consider the American-Israeli declaration a formula for igniting the region.”

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Witkoff likely to leave envoy role at year’s end as Gaza deal advances, says US official

United States special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff is expected to step down at the end of the year, a US official with knowledge of the matter tells The Times of Israel.

Witkoff — who has acted as Trump’s point man in Gaza ceasefire talks since his term began — has been serving as a Special Government Employee, a designation that limits appointments to about 130 days, though renewals are possible based on projected future service.

Nonetheless, Witkoff is preparing to depart his role by year’s end, the official says, particularly with a breakthrough on the Gaza war appearing to be within reach, after Trump announced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted the latest American proposal and mediators await Hamas’s response.

The official adds that “people in [Witkoff’s] office are already looking for the next thing,” and that especially if the Gaza deal goes through, the envoy will “bow out gracefully.”

France says Hamas has ‘no choice’ but to agree to Trump’s Gaza plan; Italy hopes for ‘turning point’

France’s President Emmanuel Macron says he welcomes US President Donald Trump’s commitment to ending the war in Gaza and securing the release of all hostages.

“I expect Israel to engage resolutely on this basis. Hamas has no choice but to immediately release all hostages and follow this plan,” Macron says in a statement on X.

Italy also says it welcomes the proposal to end the war in Gaza, and it is ready to play its part in close coordination with the United States, European partners, and regional actors, the Italian prime minister’s office says.

“The proposal presented today by US President Donald Trump could mark a turning point, enabling a permanent cessation of hostilities, the immediate release of all hostages, and full and secure humanitarian access for the civilian population,” it says in a statement.

“Hamas, in particular — having initiated this war with the barbaric terrorist attack of October 7, 2023 — now has the opportunity to end it by releasing the hostages, agreeing to have no role in Gaza’s future, and fully disarming,” the statement adds.

Herzog welcomes Trump’s Gaza plan, urges world to express support

President Isaac Herzog welcomes US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan and congratulates Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the process, in a post on X.

“Now the entire world must set a clear and immediate condition — that the terrorist organization Hamas agree to the plan set out by President Trump, and allow a future of hope for the peoples of the region,” he says.

The plan presented this evening by @POTUS @realDonaldTrump offers real hope for the release of the hostages, for ensuring the security of Israel, for ending the war, and for changing the reality in the Gaza Strip and the Middle East toward a new era of regional and international…

— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) September 29, 2025

Report: Hamas received the American plan and promised to examine it ‘responsibly’

Qatari channel Al Jazeera reports, citing a diplomatic source, that Qatar and Egypt conveyed to Hamas the White House plan to end the war, and that the Hamas delegation promised to examine the proposal “responsibly.”

Netanyahu: If Hamas rejects Trump’s plan, ‘then Israel will finish the job by itself’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that if Hamas rejects US President Donald Trump’s plan, “or if they supposedly accept it and then basically do everything to counter it, then Israel will finish the job by itself.”

“This can be done the easy way or it can be done the hard way, but it will be done,” he promises. “We prefer the easy way, but it has to be done. All these goals must be achieved, because we didn’t fight this horrible fight, sacrifice the finest of our young men to have Hamas stay in Gaza and threaten us again and again and again with these horrific massacres.”

Netanyahu says a Palestinian state “would reward terrorists, undermine security, and endanger Israel’s very existence.”

He stresses that the Palestinian Authority can “have no role whatsoever in Gaza without undergoing a radical and genuine transformation.”

“That means ending “pay to slay,” changing the poisonous textbooks that teach hatred to Jews, to Palestinian children, stopping incitement in the media, ending lawfare against Israel at the ICC, the ICJ, recognizing the Jewish state, and many, many other reforms,” says Netanyahu.

He says that Trump’s plan “can be not only a new beginning for Gaza, I think it can be a new beginning for the entire region.”

He says that the Abraham Accords can be expanded and re-energized: “It’s not going to be easy. It’s tough going. But I think if we succeed, you’re absolutely right. We’re going to open possibilities that nobody even dreamed of.”

“Those who attack us pay a heavy price,” says Netanyahu. “But those who partner with us advance progress and security for their peoples.”

Turning to the phone call with his Qatari counterpart, Netanyahu says that he told him, “Israel was targeting terrorists. It wasn’t targeting Qatar. And of course, we regretted the loss of the Qatari citizen. It wasn’t our target.”

He adds that working out grievances with Qatar in the trilateral body announced by Trump “would be good for everyone. “

Golan, Deri and Ohana welcome Trump’s Gaza proposal; Gotliv says Hamas won’t agree to free hostages

The Democrats chairman Yair Golan, Shas leader Aryeh Deri, and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana (Likud), all welcome US President Donald Trump’s announcement of his Gaza peace proposal in Washington, DC.

Posting a photo of Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a joint press conference on social network X, Ohana writes, “Yes, another league,” referring to a 2019 electoral slogan touting Netanyahu’s warm ties with foreign leaders such as Trump.

In a separate post, Deri expresses his thanks to God “for the success of the summit at the White House” and praises Trump and Netanyahu’s “united stand for Israel’s security.” He expresses hope that the hostages will be returned by next week’s Sukkot holiday.

Golan, a harsh critic of the current government, tweets that his left-wing opposition party will provide the government with support for the plan, a reference to likely opposition within Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition.

“Ending the war, returning the hostages, disarming Hamas, dismantling Hamas’s rule, you’d have to be an absolute hater of Israel to refuse Trump’s plan,” he writes. “We will provide a full safety net for the plan. But we’ll be happy and celebrate only when we see all the hostages back home.”

“What’s the strategy?” asks Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi in a tweet. “Peace through strength, surrender or be destroyed! And of course, a Palestinian state will never be established in the land of our forefathers!”

“The political genius of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has once again proven itself — Netanyahu succeeded in convincing President Trump and the Arab states of the justice of Israel’s path,” declares Economy Minister Nir Barkat.

“I trust Prime Minister Netanyahu that a Palestinian state will never be established,” he adds, thanking Trump as a “true friend.”

Stating that under the plan, the Palestinian Authority “will have no foothold in managing the Strip in any way,” Likud MK Avichay Buaron argues that “this is what absolute victory looks like!” However, fellow Likud lawmaker Tally Gotliv insists that “it is clear as day that the cruel and murderous Hamas will not agree to return all our hostages within 72 hours.”

“Only someone who does not understand the Hamas ethos would believe that Hamas will return all our hostages and agree to the outline,” she writes, adding, “I hope that I am completely wrong this time.”

Netanyahu says Trump’s Gaza plan ‘achieves our war aims’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declares his support for US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza, saying it “achieves our war aims” and can end the fighting.

“It will bring back to Israel all our hostages, dismantle Hamas’s military capabilities, end its political rule, and ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel.”

The first step, according to Netanyahu, will be “a modest withdrawal” followed by the release of all hostages within 72 hours. The next step will be the establishment of an international body charged with disarming Hamas and demilitarizing Gaza.

If this international body succeeds, “we will have permanently ended the war,” declares Netanyahu. Military withdrawals, he says, will be linked to the progress or demilitarization.

Netanyahu says Trump’s plan is consistent with the five principles he set for the end of the war and the day after Hamas.

Israel will retain security responsibility, including a security perimeter “for the foreseeable future,” says Netanyahu.

Gaza will not be run by Hamas or by the Palestinian Authority, says Netanyahu.

“We are giving everybody a chance to have this done peacefully,” says Netanyahu.

He says that under Trump’s leadership, “we are taking the next step to win the war and expand the peace.”

Netanyahu thanks Trump for his friendship and leadership: “From Jerusalem to Tehran, from the Golan Heights to Gaza, you’ve proven time and again what I’ve said many times — you are the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House.”

“It’s not even close,” says Netanyahu.

Hardline hostage families approve of Trump’s plan to end war

The Tikva Forum, which represents some hardline families of hostages and fallen soldiers, says it approves of US President Donald Trump’s proposal to end the war and free the captives held by Hamas in Gaza.

“The statements are consistent with our principles and commitment: the return of all the abductees in one stage, the living will return to their families, and the dead will be returned to be buried in Israel,” it says in a statement, adding that the proposal ensures Hamas’s rule over Gaza will end and would no longer pose a threat to Israel.

Tony Blair hails Trump’s Gaza proposal as ‘best chance’ to end war

WASHINGTON — Former UK prime minister Tony Blair welcomes the US proposal for ending the Gaza war, which envisions him serving on an international advisory board headed by US President Donald Trump that will oversee a transitional government of Palestinian technocrats responsible for administering Gaza after the war.

“President Trump has put down a bold and intelligent plan which, if agreed, can end the war, bring immediate relief to Gaza, the chance of a brighter and better future for its people, whilst ensuring Israel’s absolute and enduring security and the release of all hostages,” Blair says in his first public statement on the issue.

“It offers us the best chance of ending two years of war, misery and suffering and I thank President Trump for his leadership, determination and commitment,” Blair says.

“In particular, [Trump’s] willingness to chair the Board of Peace to oversee the new Gaza is a huge signal of support and confidence in the future of Gaza, of the possibility of Israelis and Palestinians finding a path to peace, and of the potential for a broader regional and global alliance to counter the forces of extremism and promote peace and prosperity between nations,” adds the former British premier.

The US plan borrows heavily from Blair’s own proposal to create a transitional Palestinian government to administer the Strip after the war, which was first revealed by The Times of Israel.

Trump says Netanyahu, Qatari PM had a ‘heart-to-heart conversation’

US President Donald turns to the phone call earlier today between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Al Thani, calling it “a great talk.”

“They really had a heart-to-heart conversation,” he says, thanking both of them.

Trump says the trilateral mechanism between the countries will be designed “to avoid future misgivings.”

Trump says he will be the emir of Qatar’s “public relations man.”

“Now is the time for Hamas to accept the plan,” he says, before again thanking Netanyahu and the Arab and Muslim leaders who back his plan.

Trump pans leaders who ‘foolishly recognized’ Palestine, predicts expansion of Abraham Accords

US President Donald Trump critiques leaders who have “foolishly recognized a Palestinian state.”

“Good people, but I think they’re doing that because they’re really tired of what’s been going on for so many decades,” he surmises.

“Let’s not forget how we got here,” says Trump. “Hamas was elected by the Palestinian people. Israel withdrew from Gaza, thinking they would live in peace,” he continues, mixing up the order of the two events.

“They say, you take it, this is our contribution to peace, but that didn’t work out,” Trump continues. “It was the opposite of peace. They pulled away. They let then have it, and I never forgot that, because I said, that doesn’t sound like a good deal to me. As a real estate person, they gave up the ocean. I said, who would do this deal.”

“They gave up the most magnificent piece of land in the Middle East, and they said, all we want to do now is have peace, and that request was not honored.”

“Instead of building a better life for the Palestinians,” Hamas diverted resources meant for the Palestinians into “over 400 miles of tunnels and terror infrastructure, rocket production facilities, and their military command posts and launch sites in hospitals, schools, and mosques,” Trump continues. “So if you went after them, you wouldn’t even realize, and you’d end up knocking out a hospital or a school or a mosque.”

“A terrible way to have to fight.”

Trump says that there are “many, many” Palestinians who want to live in peace. He challenges the Palestinians “to take responsibility for their destiny… to fully condemn and prohibit terrorism and earn their way to a brighter future. They don’t want the life that they’ve had. They’ve had a rough life with Hamas.”

If the Palestinian Authority does not carry out reforms, it will have only itself to blame, says Trump.

Trump says his plan creates the conditions for “durable Israeli security and Palestinian success.”

“There shouldn’t have to be a shot fired, maybe for eternity,” he says. “Wouldn’t that be nice.”

In a suddenly jovial mood, Trump begins pronouncing “Abraham” in the Abraham Accords close to the Hebrew name, saying, “it’s so much nicer. So much more elegant.”

He says his predecessor Joe Biden “didn’t even know what the hell they were” and did not expand them.

Trump predicts that the accords will be expanded and “packed,” and that maybe Iran could join someday. “We expect, we hope, that we’re going to get along with Iran. I think they’re going to be open to it.”

Trump lists his achievements that make him Israel’s best friend ever in the White House, continuing to blast Biden as clueless.

He says that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a “long, strong talk” and that Netanyahu understands that “it’s time.”

Many countries have gained respect for Israel “for the way they fight,” Trump says, adding that he also has more respect for Israel for that reason.

Those who make peace with Israel thrive, says Trump, while those who try to destroy Israel “haven’t done well.”

“Israel is not going anywhere,” Trump says, adding that they are going to coexist with Lebanon, Syria, and Saudi Arabia.

Senior Hamas official: US Gaza proposal presented at Trump presser leans toward the Israeli side

Senior Hamas official Muhammad Mardawi says in an interview with the Qatari channel Al Jazeera that the Gaza peace plan presented by US President Donald Trump at a press conference “leans toward the Israeli perspective.”

“What was said at the press conference [regarding the plan to end the war] leans toward the Israeli perspective; it is close to what Netanyahu insists on in order to continue the war,” he says.

However, he adds, “we need to receive this plan in written and clear form before we respond to it. The plan must be in the hands of Hamas and the Palestinian organizations.”

He stresses that neither Hamas nor any Palestinian has seen the plan yet.

Gantz praises Trump’s Gaza proposal, says it ‘must be implemented’

National Unity chair Benny Gantz lauds US President Donald Trump’s announcement of his Gaza peace proposal in Washington, DC.

“I laud President Trump’s extraordinary efforts to secure a hostage deal and safeguard Israeli security. Now is the time for initiative,” he writes in an English post on X.

“President Trump’s plan must be implemented, our hostages brought home, Israel’s operational freedom maintained, Hamas’ terror regime in Gaza replaced and moderate Arab States instated instead as I proposed a year and a half ago. We must not miss out on the opportunity to bring back the hostages, safeguard our security and catalyse a ‘Strategic Flip’ expanding the circles of regional normalization,” he says.

Trump introduces Gaza international oversight body, ‘the board of peace’

US President Donald Trump says his plan calls for a new international oversight body, “the Board of Peace.”

It will be headed by Trump himself, he says, adding that the Arab countries and Israel requested he do so.

It will include world leaders, he says, and will include former UK prime minister Tony Blair.

The board will work with the World Bank, and “will be responsible for recruiting and training a new government that will be made up of Palestinians along with highly qualified experts from all along the world.”

Hamas and other terrorist groups will play no role in the board or the governance of Gaza, directly or indirectly.

Trump says that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “very clear about his opposition to a Palestinian state.”

Trump says that he “understands and respects his position on many things, but what he’s doing today is so great for Israel.”

The Israeli public contends Trump wants two things: bringing the hostages back and ending the war. “They’ve had it,” he says.

“I think it’s a very popular thing you do,” he says, “because you’re a warrior. He doesn’t know about getting back to a normal way of life. But he is a warrior, and Israel is lucky to have him.”

Israelis want to “get back to peace and get back to normalization,” says Trump.

Trump: Arab and Muslim countries ‘are going to be dealing with Hamas,’ if not, Israel can ‘finish the job’

US President Donald Trump says the Arab and Muslim countries “are going to be dealing with Hamas,” adding “that they probably already have an understanding. They haven’t maybe mentioned that, but I imagine they do, otherwise they wouldn’t have gotten as far as they’ve gotten.”

“If they’re unable to do so,” he continues, “then Israel would have the absolute right and actually our full backing… Israel would have my full backing to finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas.”

Hamas is the “only one left” that has not accepted the deal, says Trump, “but I have a feeling we’re going to have a positive answer.”

“If not, Bibi, you know you’d have our full back to do what you have to do,” Trump says to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

He says the danger in the region is posed by Hamas: “The tyranny of terror has to end and this is again something that we are looking for. This is eternity.”

Former Netanyahu spokesman says PM ‘has no mandate to raise a white flag,’ calls Trump plan ‘absolute failure’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s former spokesman tweets that the Israeli leader “has no mandate to raise a white flag,” after US President Donald Trump announces that Netanyahu had agreed to a 21-point plan for ending the war in Gaza and releasing the hostages held by Hamas.

In his first public criticism of Netanyahu since being fired this summer, Omer Dostri tweets that Trump’s plan represents an “absolute failure” that would mean Israel abandoning territory in Gaza, leaving Hamas undefeated, and prepare the way for “the return of the PA and the establishment of a Palestinian state,” as well as the cancellation of moves to faciliate voluntary migration by Palestinians.

Netanyahu fired Dostri in July, only days ahead of a previous trip to meet with Trump.

According to Channel 13, Dostri, who had been Netanyahu’s spokesperson for the past year, was leaving his position immediately because of a series of conflicts with the prime minister’s wife, Sara Netanyahu.

A source with knowledge of the details also told The Times of Israel that Sara Netanyahu’s attitude toward Dostri played a role in him stepping down, something denied by Netanyahu’s office.

Sources close to Netanyahu told Ynet that Dostri’s firing was not because of Sara, but rather because Netanyahu considered him incompetent. In February, Hebrew media reported that Netanyahu had repeatedly reprimanded Dostri for his conduct.

Trump thanks Muslim leaders for backing plan, which means ‘immediate’ end of war

US President Donald Trump personally thanks a string of Muslim leaders, including Saudi King Salman Al Saud, Qatari Emir Tamim al Thani, Emirati President Mohammed Bin Zayed, and Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed. The leaders “have been giving us ideas, things they can live with, things they can’t live with, pretty complex.”

He also thanks Jordanian King Abdullah and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a fierce critic of Israel and supporter of Hamas. “He’s a friend of mine, he’s a strong man, but a good man,” Trump says of Erdogan.

Trump thanks President Abdel Fatah el Sisi of Egypt, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who referenced Israel in surprisingly warm terms at the UN last week.

“If accepted by Hamas,” he continues, “this proposal calls for the release of all remaining hostages immediately, but in no case more than 72 hours. So the hostages are coming back and …the bodies of young men are coming back immediately.”

His plan, he says, “means the immediate end of the war itself, not just Gaza.”

Trump says Arab, Muslim countries committed to disarming Gaza quickly: ‘No more shooting, hopefully’

Arab and Muslim countries have committed to demilitarizing Gaza quickly, US President Donald Trump says.

The countries he thanked will be among those to “deal with Hamas.”

“I’m hearing that Hamas wants to get this done too,” says Trump.

All terror infrastructure will be destroyed, including tunnels and weapons production facilities, says Trump.

“Working with the new transitional authority in Gaza,” says Trump, “all parties will agree on a timeline for Israeli forces to withdraw, in phases.”

“No more shooting, hopefully.”

Hostage families publish Shehecheyanu prayer after Trump announces Gaza peace plan

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum releases a statement with the Shehecheyanu prayer in response to US President Donald Trump’s announcement that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted his plan to end the war in Gaza and release captives held by Hamas.

“Shehecheyanu ve-kiy’manu ve-higi’anu la-z’man ha-zeh,” the forum writes.

The Shehecheyanu prayer is a Jewish blessing that expresses appreciation for new and special experiences.

Trump hails ‘historic day for peace,’ says Netanyahu agreed to Gaza proposal

US President Donald Trump says, “Today is a historic day for peace,” adding that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just wrapped up their meeting on “Iran, trade, the expansion of the Abraham Accords, and, most importantly, we discussed how to end the war in Gaza.”

Ending the war is “just part of the bigger picture, which is peace in the Middle East,” says Trump. “Let’s call it eternal peace in the Middle East.”

He says that “the level of support I’ve had from the nations in the Middle East and surrounding Israel and neighbors of Israel has been incredible.”

Trump announces that he is formally releasing his “principles for peace, which people have really liked, I must say.”

He thanks leaders of Muslim and Arab nations “for their tremendous support in developing the proposal, along with many of our allies in Europe. Europe has been very much involved.”

Trump thanks Netanyahu “for agreeing to the plan, and trusting that if we work together we can bring an end to the death and destruction that we’ve seen for so many years, decades, even centuries, and begin a new chapter of security, peace, and prosperity for the entire region.”

Qatar: Israel apologized for the attack in Doha

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry announces that during a phone call between US President Donald Trump, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Badr bin Jassim Al Thani, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli premier apologized for the strike in Qatar.

According to the statement, “The prime minister apologized for the attack in Qatar and the violation of Qatar’s sovereignty that led to the death of a Qatari citizen, and promised that there would be no further attacks on Qatari soil in the future.”

The statement also notes that the Qatari prime minister expressed Qatar’s refusal to tolerate violations of its sovereignty and conveyed Doha’s readiness to continue its involvement in efforts to end the war in the Gaza Strip under the framework of the US president’s initiative.

US adds clause to Gaza peace plan involving process to disarm Hamas

WASHINGTON — The US has added a clause to its comprehensive plan for ending the war in Gaza regarding the demilitarization of Hamas.

“There will be a process of demilitarization of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning, and supported by an internationally funded buy back and reintegration program all verified by the independent monitors,” reads point 13 of the proposal published for the first time moments ago by the White House.

The Times of Israel obtained a copy of the proposal last week that did not include this line, leaving the issue of demilitarization up in the air.

But in the past several days, the US has taken in requests for edits to what was originally a 21-point plan from Arab and Muslim countries, along with Israel.

The addition is one of several made to the earlier proposal, which has been trimmed to 20 points.

Another change in the proposal is that Hamas will have 72 hours to release the hostages once a deal is reached, instead of 48 hours.

A new name has been given to the international advisory board for the transitional government of Palestinian technocrats that will govern the Strip after the war — “The Board of Peace.”

The board will be chaired by US President Donald Trump and include former UK prime minister Tony Blair, who helped crafted the proposal, the newly published plan states.

Notably, the US proposal drops the point that stated Israel would not again strike Qatar.

That was the edit that brought the proposal down to 20 points.

But Netanyahu earlier today publicly committed not to violate Qatar’s sovereignty again.

At presser with Netanyahu, Trump hails ‘potentially one of the biggest days ever in civilization’

Speaking alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump says in his statement in the White House that it’s “a big big day, a beautiful day, potentially one of the biggest days ever in civilization.”

“Things that have been going on for hundreds of years, and thousands of years, we’re at least at a minimum very, very close and we’re beyond very close,” he continues.

He thanks Netanyahu “for getting in there and doing a job. We worked well together, as we have with many other countries, both of us… which is the only way this whole situation gets solved.”

Trump says he is not only talking about Gaza, but “much beyond Gaza. The whole deal. Everything. Getting solved. It’s called peace in the Middle East.”

Lapid backs Trump’s 21-point plan for ending Gaza war, releasing hostages

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid endorses US President Donald Trump’s 21-point plan for ending the war in Gaza, declaring in a statement that it is “the correct basis for a hostage deal and the end of the war.”

White House releases Trump’s ‘Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict’: All hostages to be released within 72 hours, Hamas members committing to peace to be given amnesty

The White House releases US President Donald Trump’s “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict.”

Its 20 points are as follows:

1. Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors.

2. Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough.

3. If both sides agree to this proposal, the war will immediately end. Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed upon line to prepare for a hostage release. During this time, all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended, and battle lines will remain frozen until conditions are met for the complete staged withdrawal.

4. Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.

5. Once all hostages are released, Israel will release 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1,700 Gazans who were detained after October 7, 2023, including all women and children detained in that context. For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.

6. Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries.

7. Upon acceptance of this agreement, full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip. At a minimum, aid quantities will be consistent with what was included in the January 19, 2025, agreement regarding humanitarian aid, including rehabilitation of infrastructure (water, electricity, sewage), rehabilitation of hospitals and bakeries, and entry of necessary equipment to remove rubble and open roads.

8. Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions not associated in any manner with either party. Opening the Rafah crossing in both directions will be subject to the same mechanism implemented under the January 19, 2025 agreement.

9. Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the “Board of Peace,” which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other members and heads of State to be announced, including Former Prime Minister Tony Blair. This body will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump’s peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. This body will call on best international standards to create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment.

10. A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energize Gaza will be created by convening a panel of experts who have helped birth some of the thriving modern miracle cities in the Middle East. Many thoughtful investment proposals and exciting development ideas have been crafted by well-meaning international groups, and will be considered to synthesize the security and governance frameworks to attract and facilitate these investments that will create jobs, opportunity, and hope for future Gaza.

11. A special economic zone will be established with preferred tariff and access rates to be negotiated with participating countries.

12. No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return. We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.

13. Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form. All military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt. There will be a process of demilitarization of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning, and supported by an internationally funded buy back and reintegration program all verified by the independent monitors. New Gaza will be fully committed to building a prosperous economy and to peaceful coexistence with their neighbors.

14. A guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas, and the factions, comply with their obligations and that New Gaza poses no threat to its neighbors or its people.

15. The United States will work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) to immediately deploy in Gaza. The ISF will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, and will consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field. This force will be the long-term internal security solution. The ISF will work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas, along with newly trained Palestinian police forces. It is critical to prevent munitions from entering Gaza and to facilitate the rapid and secure flow of goods to rebuild and revitalize Gaza. A deconfliction mechanism will be agreed upon by the parties.

16. Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza. As the ISF establishes control and stability, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will withdraw based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed upon between the IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the Unites States, with the objective of a secure Gaza that no longer poses a threat to Israel, Egypt, or its citizens. Practically, the IDF will progressively hand over the Gaza territory it occupies to the ISF according to an agreement they will make with the transitional authority until they are withdrawn completely from Gaza, save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat.

17. In the event Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, the above, including the scaled-up aid operation, will proceed in the terror-free areas handed over from the IDF to the ISF.

18. An interfaith dialogue process will be established based on the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence to try and change mindsets and narratives of Palestinians and Israelis by emphasizing the benefits that can be derived from peace.

19. While Gaza re-development advances and when the PA reform program is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.

20. The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence.

An image is also released showing the IDF’s withdrawal according to the stages of hostage releases.

Netanyahu releases photos of Oval Office meeting with Trump

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office releases photos of his meeting with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

The images from their expanded meeting show top advisers smiling and enjoying the exchange.

Trump was joined by Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Trump and Netanyahu are in a private meeting right now, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Netanyahu says Israel has ‘no plan’ to strike Qatar again, in readout of phone call with Qatari PM

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Adbulrahman Al Thani that Israel “has no plan” to strike again in his country, according to the Israeli readout of the call.

“Mr. Prime Minister, I want you to know that Israel regrets that one of your citizens was killed in our strike,” says Netanyahu, according to his office.

The call was arranged by US President Donald Trump, and took place while Netanyahu was in the White House.

“I want to assure you that Israel was targeting Hamas, not Qataris,” he continues, adding that “Israel has no plan to violate your sovereignty again in the future, and I have made that commitment to the president.”

Netanyahu tells Al Thani that he knows “your leadership has grievances against Israel and Israel has grievances against Qatar, from support for the Muslim Brotherhood to how Israel is portrayed on Al Jazeera to support for anti Israel sentiment on collage campuses.”

He adds that he welcomes Trump’s initiative of establishing a trilateral forum to address “outstanding grievances.”

Smotrich compares Netanyahu’s apology to Qatari PM to Nazi appeasement

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich condemns Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s apology to Qatar’s prime minister for Israel’s strike on Doha, framing it as appeasement.

Comparing it to former UK prime minister Neville Chamberlain’s 1938 Munich Agreement with Nazi Germany, which was signed 87 years ago tomorrow, Smotrich cites a quotation attributed to Britain’s wartime premier, Winston Churchill stating that his country “had to choose between war and shame. They chose shame. They will get war too.”

Netanyahu’s “groveling apology to a state that supports and funds terror is a disgrace,” Smotrich tweets.

Smotrich writes that the agreement was signed on September 29, 1938, when it was actually signed in the early hours of September 30 of that year.

Netanyahu’s call to Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani also drew condemnations from far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Yair Golan, the chairman of left-wing party The Democrats.

Five IDF soldiers seriously hurt in Hamas attack on army camp in Gaza City

Five IDF soldiers, including two officers, were seriously wounded and six others were lightly injured in a Hamas attack on an army encampment in Gaza City earlier today, the military announces.

The incident began at around 5:25 p.m. with a cell of five Hamas operatives infiltrating an army encampment and setting off two explosive devices against a tank of the 7th Armored Brigade’s 82nd Battalion.

Troops at the encampment exchanged fire with the gunmen, killing at least two of them — one by tank shelling and one in a close-quarters gun battle, according to the IDF.

The IDF is now hunting for the three surviving Hamas gunmen who managed to flee the encampment after the attack.

During the incident, a medical officer, a tank officer, and three soldiers of the 82nd Battalion were seriously injured, the IDF says. Six other troops were lightly hurt.

The soldiers were all taken to hospitals and their families were notified.

White House: Netanyahu expressed ‘deep regret’ for violating Qatari sovereignty in Trump-hosted call with Al Thani

WASHINGTON — The White House confirms that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “expressed his deep regret that Israel’s missile strike against Hamas targets in Qatar unintentionally killed a Qatari serviceman,” during a trilateral call US President Donald Trump organized with the Israeli premier and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Abdulrahman Al Thani during Netanyahu’s ongoing White House visit.

Netanyahu “further expressed regret that, in targeting Hamas leadership during hostage negotiations, Israel violated Qatari sovereignty and affirmed that Israel will not conduct such an attack again in the future,” a White House readout says.

The Qatari premier “welcomed these assurances, emphasizing Qatar’s readiness to continue contributing meaningfully to regional security and stability,” the US readout adds, noting that Netanyahu “expressed commitment to the same.”

For his part, Trump “expressed his desire to put Israeli-Qatar relations on a positive track after years of mutual grievances and miscommunications,” the White House says.

Netanyahu and Al Thani “accepted [Trump’s] proposal to establish a trilateral mechanism to enhance coordination, improve communication, resolve mutual grievances and strengthen collective efforts to prevent threats.”

The Israeli and Qatari leaders “underscored their shared commitment to working together constructively and clearing away misperceptions, while building on the longstanding ties both have with the United States,” the US readout continues.

The pair also discussed the US plan for ending the war in Gaza and creating a more secure Middle East.

“Trump praised both leaders for their willingness to take steps toward greater cooperation in the interest of peace and security for all,” the readout says.

Knesset passes NIS 30.8 billion boost to defense spending over Iran and Gaza wars

The Knesset votes to allocate an additional NIS 30.8 billion ($9.2 billion) to defense spending. The legislation comes in response to Israel’s 12-day war with Iran in June and the ongoing war in Gaza.

55 members of Knesset vote in favour of the proposal, with 50 opposed, with many members of both the opposition and coalition not in attendance.

The supplementary budget allocation is intended to cover increased defense spending, including for personnel, security operations, and related costs, raising overall government expenditure from NIS 756 billion ($228 billion) to NIS 787 billion ($237 billion) for 2025.

The Knesset also votes to raise the maximum overall deficit to 5.2% of GDP, up from the current cap of 4.9%.

“The army and its needs during wartime must stand above all disputes,” says Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, speaking at the Knesset plenum.

US Justice Department files complaint against anti-Israel protesters in New Jersey

The US Department of Justice files a civil complaint against anti-Israel protesters who rallied outside a synagogue in New Jersey last year.

The complaint is filed under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, a federal measure meant to protect abortion clinics that also covers houses of worship. Jewish legal advocates have used the FACE Act to defend synagogues.

The complaint alleges that the protesters “engaged in threats of force, intimidation, and violent conduct directed at congregants” of the Congregation Ohr Torah synagogue in West Orange, New Jersey, in November 2024.

The protest was part of a series of rallies aimed at disrupting events marketing Israeli real estate in the US.

The complaint says the protest was intended to interfere with the community’s right to freely exercise their religion, in violation of federal civil rights protections.

“No American should be harassed, targeted, or discriminated against for peacefully practicing their religion,” US Attorney General Pamela Bondi says in a statement. “Today’s lawsuit underscores this Department of Justice’s commitment to defending Jewish Americans — and all Americans of faith — from those who would threaten their right to worship.”

Defendants include the far-left Party for Socialism and Liberation New Jersey, American Muslims for Palestine New Jersey, and some of the individual protesters.

The complaint says the protesters perpetrated physical assaults, antisemitic and threatening chants, and defied police orders to intimidate Jewish worshipers.

IDF strike kills Hamas commander who led hostage release ceremonies, participated in Oct. 7

The deputy commander of the Hamas Zeitoun Battalion in Gaza City, who led hostage release ceremonies and participated in the October 7 onslaught, was killed in a recent airstrike, the military and Shin Bet announce.

The Hamas commander, Musa Shaldan, was killed in a strike carried out by the Israeli Air Force last week, according to the IDF.

As a company commander in the Zeitoun Battalion, Shaldan invaded Israel with his forces on October 7, 2023, the IDF says. Additionally, the army says he was one of the leaders of Hamas’s incendiary balloon launches at Israel before the war.

During the war, Shaldan was responsible for the release of hostages from Gaza City, and he was seen leading Hamas’s release ceremonies earlier this year, the military says.

The IDF says that during the war, Shaldan led numerous attacks against Israeli troops — including sniper fire, explosives, and anti-tank fire — while sheltering in “humanitarian compounds.” He was also responsible for Hamas’s fighting positions in Zeitoun.

Previously, Shaldan served as the intelligence chief in the Zeitoun Battalion and a deputy company commander, the army adds.

Trump’s team added ‘dramatic changes’ to Gaza proposal after meeting with PM, Dermer — report

US President Donald Trump’s team added “dramatic changes” to his Gaza peace proposal to make it more “realistic” for Israel to accept, after meeting with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a senior official close to the premier tells Channel 12 news.

The official also says, “We know that Hamas will not agree to disarm. They also are not ready to release the hostages in one stage, and are not ready to release everyone if there isn’t an absolute guarantee that the story is over and that there is no war, and even then, there is a doubt if they will stand by their word.”

Golan calls Netanyahu’s apology to Qatari PM over Doha strike a ‘humiliation’

The Democrats chairman Yair Golan calls Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s apology to Qatar’s prime minister for Israel’s strike on Doha earlier this month a “humiliation.”

“What a humiliation. In order to beat Hamas, we need to replace Bibi and Qatar,” he says.

Hamas official: We’re ready to release all hostages, living and dead, at end of war; won’t disarm

Tahir al-Nono, a senior Hamas official, tells the Qatari channel Al-Arabi that the terror group is ready to release hostages upon the end of the war, in response to a question whether Hamas would agree to release all the captives within 48 hours, as reported to be part of the American plan.

“The presence of the prisoners with Hamas is connected to ending the war and the withdrawal of the occupation from the Gaza Strip. Whether this happens in the first days [of the agreement], in the middle, or gradually — this will be part of the discussion. We are ready to release all the prisoners we hold, both the living and the dead. Their presence is temporary until the end of the war and a dignified exchange [of prisoners],” he says.

He adds: “There are prisoners [hostages] who have died, and equipment is required to retrieve their bodies. This takes time, and we have already said this during the negotiations. We are ready to release them all as part of a comprehensive agreement to end the war and secure the withdrawal of the occupation from the Gaza Strip.”

Al-Nono stresses: “Regarding the latest plan — we have not received it, and we are not part of the negotiations on it, neither directly nor indirectly. Once we receive the plan officially and the organization’s leadership studies it, we will announce our clear position.”

Al-Nono adds that Hamas is ready for an agreement with the Palestinian Authority [regarding the day after], saying: “From day one, we have said that we are interested in a technocratic government to rule both Gaza and the West Bank. The problem is not between us and the Authority.”

He reiterates Hamas’s stance that it refuses to disarm: “Our position [Hamas’s] regarding this [disarmament] is clear — armed resistance is the right of the Palestinian people as long as there is occupation. If the Palestinian people are liberated and the Palestinian state is established, then there will be no need for resistance and weapons, and this will be part of the Palestinian entity.”

After Netanyahu apologizes to Qatari PM, Ben Gvir justifies ‘important, just, and supremely moral’ Doha strike

After Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologizes to his Qatari counterpart for the failed strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir calls the attack “important, just, and supremely moral.”

Taking to X to call Qatar “an enemy state,” the far-right minister says that “whoever sends monsters to burn babies, rape women, and abduct elderly women must know that there is no place in the world where he is safe.”

“It is time to tell the world the truth: Qatar is a state that supports terrorism, funds terrorism, and incites terrorism,” he continues. “No money will cleanse the terrorism from their hands.”

Dutch-flagged cargo ship substantially damaged in Gulf of Aden attack

LONDON — The Dutch-flagged cargo ship Minervagracht sustained substantial damage after being hit by an explosive device in the Gulf of Aden, the vessel’s operator says.

“Earlier today, its general cargo vessel Minervagracht that was on passage in the Gulf of Aden, in international waters, has come under attack of an unidentified explosive device, inflicting substantial damage to the ship,” the vessel’s Amsterdam-based operator, Spliethoff, says in a statement.

“Following the attack, Minervagracht is suffering from a fire. As a result, two of the crew of Minervagracht have sustained injuries. Currently the crew of 19 are being evacuated to nearby vessels by helicopter.”

After Adams drops out, Brooklyn Jewish group endorses Cuomo for NYC mayor

A Jewish political group in Brooklyn endorses Andrew Cuomo’s campaign for New York City mayor, a day after Mayor Eric Adams dropped out of the race.

Crown Heights United PAC says, “We proudly endorse Andrew Cuomo for mayor of New York City.”

“With extremism and antisemitism on the rise, and the city facing an unprecedented crisis, it is more important than ever to make our voices heard and vote,” the group says, according to a statement from Cuomo’s campaign.

Crown Heights is the stronghold of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement.

Adams was polling poorly and dropped his campaign yesterday.

Adams is a longtime supporter of Israel and Jewish communities, especially in Brooklyn, where he had a career in the police and local politics before becoming mayor.

Cuomo is also an Israel supporter, but infuriated Orthodox Jewish communities when he instituted COVID restrictions on gatherings while serving as governor during the pandemic.

Orthodox groups felt that the restrictions targeted their communities.

Cuomo sought to make amends during the primary campaign and earned the endorsements of leading Orthodox Jewish groups in the weeks leading up to the June primary.

Many Jews were alarmed by the anti-Israel rhetoric of front-runner Zohran Mamdani, prompting their endorsements of Cuomo, despite their reservations.

Adams’s dropping out has opened the way for Jewish groups with ties to Adams to endorse Cuomo for the general election.

Cuomo is polling far behind Mamdani ahead of the general election, but is ahead of the other contender, Republican Curtis Sliwa. Cuomo lost the primary to Mamdani, but is running in the general election as an independent. Adams sat out the primary to run as an independent.

In phone call from White House, Netanyahu apologizes to Qatari PM over Doha strike

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just apologized to the Prime Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, for the Israeli strike in Qatar on September 9.

Channel 12 says Netanyahu spoke by phone for several minutes with Al Thani from the White House, where he is being hosted by US President Donald Trump. Trump was also on the call.

A foreign diplomat familiar with the matter confirms to The Times of Israel that Netanyahu apologized to Al Thani for Israel’s strike in Doha that killed a Qatari security guard along with several lower-level Hamas members.

The TV report says Netanyahu apologized for violating Qatari sovereignty in the strike. It says it is possible that Israel may pay compensation to the family of the guard.

The report says the apology is central to the current effort to finalize a deal to end the war in Gaza and secure the release of all hostages, since Qatar had been refusing to mediate negotiations with Hamas since the Israeli strike, which targeted but failed to kill several key Hamas leaders in Doha.

Netanyahu also pledged not to carry out any further such attacks in Qatar, according to several Qatari media outlets. Such a stipulation is also included in the 21-point Trump Gaza plan.

Channel 12, unsourced, also says that Qatar has indicated to the Americans that it can convince Hamas to agree to the demilitarization of Gaza.

It further reports that Trump, in an earlier conversation with the emir of Qatar before Netanyahu arrived at the White House, said that he wants the leaders of all eight Arab and Muslim states with whom he met last week and to whom he presented the deal, to publicly support it even though he’s made changes to it that move it closer to Israel’s positions.

UAE pushing Netanyahu to take Trump’s Gaza deal proposal, source says

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — The UAE is pressing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace proposal at their meeting today and to abandon any plan to annex the West Bank, a delegate with knowledge of the matter tells Reuters.

The United Arab Emirates, the most prominent Arab country to normalize ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords, warned Netanyahu that annexation would shut the door to further Israeli normalization with leading Arab and Muslim nations, including Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, the delegate adds.

Netanyahu faces pressure to annex the West Bank from far-right politicians who want to extend sovereignty over the area and snuff out hopes for a Palestinian state.

A senior Israeli official has said that Netanyahu will give Israel’s response to Trump’s Gaza peace proposal at his meeting with the US leader today. Netanyahu was greeted by Trump outside the White House doors with a handshake.

The UAE position on Trump’s Gaza peace plan was communicated to Netanyahu by its foreign minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, in a meeting with the Israeli leader on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday, the delegate says.

The contents of Sheikh Abdullah’s remarks to Netanyahu at the meeting have not previously been reported.

In Jerusalem, there is no immediate response from Netanyahu’s office to a request for comment.

Activists rally for hostage deal at US embassy in Tel Aviv as Trump and Netanyahu meet in DC

Around 100 demonstrators demanding a ceasefire-hostage release deal rally outside the US embassy branch in Tel Aviv, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump meet at the White House.

Demonstrators are carrying banners urging Trump to use his influence to bring about an agreement that will return all the captives.

Trump greets Netanyahu at White House, says he’s ‘very confident’ about chances for deal in Gaza

WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived at the White House for his meeting with US President Donald Trump.

While greeting Netanyahu, Trump is asked by reporters whether he is confident about the chances for peace in Gaza and of a deal to end the war in Gaza.

“I am — I’m very confident,” Trump responds before the two leaders head into the White House.

Netanyahu can also be heard telling Trump, “I hope so,” as they shake hands, but it is not clear what the remark is in response to.

President Trump greets Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House ????????pic.twitter.com/z7gsEHjY5o

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 29, 2025

After UN sanctions return, European powers say they will keep pursuing talks with Iran

BERLIN, Germany — Germany, France, and Britain will “continue to pursue diplomatic channels and negotiations” despite the reimposition of UN sanctions on Iran, the countries say in a joint statement circulated by the German Foreign Ministry.

“The reinstatement of UN sanctions does not mean the end of diplomacy,” the statement says. “We urge Iran to refrain from any escalatory actions and to resume compliance with its legally binding obligations regarding safeguards.”

Lebanon says two killed in separate Israeli strikes

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Lebanon says Israeli strikes killed two people today.

Lebanon’s health ministry says that “an Israeli enemy strike on an excavator in the town of Sohmor” in the eastern Bekaa Valley region killed one person.

A separate “Israeli enemy strike on a water tanker in Nabatiyeh al-Fawqa,” in south Lebanon, also killed one person, the ministry says, adding that another was wounded in a strike in south Lebanon’s Aitaroun.

The ministry does not say if those killed were civilians or combatants.

Israel has kept up attacks on Lebanon, saying it is targeting Hezbollah operatives or sites violating the truce that ended more than a year of war with the Iran-backed terror group.

It has also kept troops in five areas of south Lebanon that it deems strategic.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Netanyahu lands in Washington, heads to White House for meeting with Trump

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lands in Washington, DC, ahead of his meeting with US President Donald Trump.

He is making his way to the White House in his convoy, and is scheduled to be greeted by Trump at 11 a.m.

Likely Houthi attack sets ship on fire in Gulf of Aden

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A likely missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels sets a ship ablaze in the Gulf of Aden. There are no immediate reports of injuries.

Local Yemeni media reported a possible ballistic missile launch from territory controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthis earlier.

Shortly after, a ship in the Gulf of Aden, some 235 kilometers (150 miles) off the coast of Aden, reported seeing “a splash and smoke” in the distance, according to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations. The UKMTO describes the incident as an attack and urged ships in the area to exercise caution, as did the private security firm Ambrey.

The UKMTO says “a vessel has been hit by an unknown projectile.” It adds: “The vessel is reported to be on fire.”

The Houthis do not immediately claim the possible attack. However, it can take hours or even days before the rebels claim their assaults.

UKMTO WARNING 033-25 WARNING ATTACK update 001 29 SEP 25https://t.co/0ZfnDYMtPM#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/NWDw2MKSlh

— UKMTO Operations Centre (@UK_MTO) September 29, 2025

UN calls for immediate evacuation of 25 babies in incubators from Gaza City

GENEVA, Switzerland — The UN children’s charity calls for an immediate evacuation to save at least 25 ill or premature babies in incubators in Gaza City.

The city has been under an evacuation order by the Israel Defense Forces since earlier this month, ahead of its offensive.

Palestinian health officials say tanks are surrounding the area near Al Helo Hospital, where at least 12 babies are in incubators. Medics say the site was shelled. Video obtained by Reuters shows hospital rooms and beds there strewn with debris.

“It is time to move them because Gaza City again has become a combat zone, but moving them where? There is no safe place for them to go,” UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires tells Reuters.

Israeli authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Evacuation of the babies, many of them newborns, will mean moving them to makeshift carts, wrapped in blankets with portable oxygen supplies and drips, Pires said. Still, they could be exposed to infection, variable temperatures or supplies could run out during the transfer.

“Moving them seems like the best option we have now… but at the same time, it’s a very risky one.”

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Activists hold up pictures of hostages, Israeli and Palestinian civilians killed in war outside White House

WASHINGTON — Dozens of dovish activists have formed a line along Pennsylvania Avenue outside the White House, holding up pictures of the remaining hostages along with Palestinian and Israeli civilians killed in the Gaza war ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with US President Donald Trump.

The protest is organized by the Jewish progressive groups New Jewish Narrative, Standing Together, T’ruah, and UnXeptable.

Ruti Kadish, an American-Israeli Jew participating in the protest, says that those present are calling for an end to the war, the release of the hostages, a surge of aid into Gaza, and for US President Donald Trump to “seal the deal.”

“This is to send a message that only he can end it — with a stroke of a pen,” she says.

Another protest is scheduled for later in the morning that is expected to include more groups from across the political spectrum, placing a larger emphasis on calls to release the hostages.

Many hostage families have fumed at Netanyahu throughout the war, arguing that he has prioritized a dragged-out conflict with Hamas over the return of their loved ones in order to maintain his coalition.

Trump to speak with Qatar’s emir ahead of summit with Netanyahu; White House ‘exasperated’ with PM — report

US President Donald Trump will speak by phone with Qatari Emir Tamim Al Thani before hosting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today, Axios reports, amid Arab concerns that Trump is altering his Gaza proposal to meet Israeli demands.

Trump’s advisers tell the outlet that there is growing frustration with Netanyahu in the White House, and that if he says no to Trump’s proposal to end the war, he will be blamed.

“The Arabs have agreed to it like 100%. Now we’re waiting for the president to work his magic on Netanyahu,” a Trump adviser tells Axios.

“Everyone — and I mean everyone — is exasperated with Bibi,” says another aide.

Both US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s influential son-in-law Jared Kushner have “just about had it” with Netanyahu, says an adviser. “Both are at their wits’ end with Israel.”

Some advisers have been telling Trump that his ability to force an end to the fighting in Gaza is a test for his credibility on the world stage.

According to Axios, the White House saw an opportunity after Netanyahu ordered a strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar earlier this month.

“When Bibi sent those missiles into Qatar, he united the Gulf state Arabs,” Trump’s adviser tells Axios. “They are all one. They speak with one voice… It was a rallying effect. And on this, for the first time, you really had a monolithic Arab world. And Witkoff and [Secretary of State Marco] Rubio said: ‘Aha, this is the time.'”

Advisers have also told Trump that Netanyahu is worried primarily about political survival, has been destabilizing the Middle East, and was “manhandling” him. One adviser mentioned Netanyahu’s focus on domestic online political discourse in the US, calling it a “bizarre obsession.”

Settler leader says he left meeting with Netanyahu ‘troubled,’ PM did not promise West Bank annexation

A leading Israeli settler says he failed to get assurances from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on annexation of the West Bank ahead of a meeting between the premier and US President Donald Trump today.

“Netanyahu listened and the meeting was substantive, but we left troubled despite the open discussion,” says Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, representing Israeli settlements in northern West Bank.

“In the end the prime minister did not say when sovereignty would come,” Dagan tells the Yedioth Aharonoth daily.

Dagan flew to New York to meet Netanyahu as part of a delegation from the Yesha Council, an umbrella body representing West Bank settlements.

The meeting on Sunday was held to pressure Netanyahu to insist on annexation during his talks with Trump, where the key issue is expected to be a ceasefire in the Gaza war.

Trump has said he would not allow Israel to extend its sovereignty over the Palestinian territory.

“This government could be the one that signs on to the creation of a Palestinian state,” Dagan says. “The prime minister can apply sovereignty; that is what we expect of him.”

Netanyahu takes off from NY to Washington for meeting with Trump

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu takes off from New York City to Washington, DC, ahead of his meeting with US President Donald Trump, according to Netanyahu’s office.

Trump is scheduled to welcome him at 11 a.m. local time, and, after lunch together, the two leaders will give statements to the press at 1:15 p.m., followed by questions from reporters.

White House says both sides will be ‘unhappy’ with Gaza deal, but that it’s ‘very close’

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump believes his plan for ending the Gaza war is the best plan that Israel and Hamas will be able to secure, even though both sides “will come out somewhat unhappy,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt tells reporters outside the White House.

Leavitt says it will be critical for both sides to agree to the plan and that today’s meetings between Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House will be decisive.

Asked by Fox News how close Netanyahu and Hamas are to “saying yes,” Leavitt says: “Very close. It is going to be a very busy day here at the White House. And nobody knows better than President Trump [that] to reach a good deal, a reasonable deal for both sides, both sides have to give up a little bit and might leave the table a little bit unhappy. But that’s ultimately how we’re going to end this conflict. It must end at the negotiating table. The president has made it very clear he wants to see the killing end, he wants all of the hostages released.”

“The administration has been in both direct and indirect talks with Hamas throughout this entire process, as well, and of course the president is in constant contact with our friend and ally Prime Minister Netanyahu,” she adds.

Bank of Israel holds interest rates at 4.5%, lowers economic growth forecast

The Bank of Israel decides to leave interest rates steady at 4.5 percent, citing “high political uncertainty,” as it cautions about slower economic growth for this year amid the ongoing war with the Hamas terror group and as concerns over the country’s isolation grow.

“The Israeli economy continues to function in an environment of high geopolitical uncertainty in view of the intensification of the fighting in Gaza and the worsening international sentiment toward Israel,” the central bank says in a statement.

The central bank says it now forecasts that the economy will grow by 2.5% in 2025, down from a previous growth estimate in July of 3.3%. But it slightly raises the growth estimate for 2026 from 4.6% to 4.7%, assuming that the “fighting in Gaza continues at varying intensity and ends during the first quarter of 2026.”

The Bank of Israel chose not to lower borrowing costs even as annual inflation in August retreated to 2.9% and moved within the government’s target range of 1% to 3% for the first time in more than a year.

The central bank last lowered interest rates in January 2024, the first cut in almost four years, to support households and businesses as the economy was getting battered by the war with Hamas in Gaza, triggered by the October 7, 2023, onslaught.

Border control system at Ben Gurion Airport crashes, causing delays — report

The border control system at Ben Gurion Airport has crashed, causing delays for departing passengers, Channel 12 news reports.

Israel spotlights Hamas sexual violence at UN Oct. 7 commemoration: ‘Many forget why we’re in Gaza’

Israel is currently holding a commemoration ceremony for the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, massacre at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, where some 40 international representatives will be presented with the findings of the Dinah Project – the first legal framework to prosecute Hamas terrorists for the use of sexual violence during the massacre.

“We think that it’s of the utmost importance to raise the issue, to remind the world, those at the UN, about the seventh of October and the horrors that happened on that day and since then, including the sexual violence against the Israelis and against hostages,” Daniel Meron, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, tells The Times of Israel.

The event is attended by ambassadors and deputy ambassadors from a wide range of countries and organizations, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Norway, Finland, India, Ethiopia, the European Union, and the Red Cross.

“There’s many people coming to commemorate the seventh of October, which is a good sign. It’s good to see that people come to be with us in these difficult times. And that goes against the notion that Israel is being isolated in the world,” Meron adds.

Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, a legal expert at Bar-Ilan University who co-authored the report, will present the project as a central part of the ceremony, which also includes the lighting of a memorial candle and highlights the plight of the hostages.

Meron notes that the environment on the street has been “unpleasant,” pointing to a protest in Geneva of 6,000-10,000 participants this past weekend against Israel’s actions in Gaza, noting it was “one out of many, but this one was the largest one.”

“We still have many friends, and we work there to make sure that people remember what Israel is all about and why the war is going on, because with all the big criticism against Israel, there are many who forget why Israel is in Gaza, why this war began,” Meron says.

Gallant challenges Likud to choose between path of Begin and Ben Gvir as party meets to expel him

Former defense minister Yoav Gallant appears today at the Likud party tribunal to respond to a petition to expel him, challenging the party to choose its future.

“Make no mistake – the discussion today is not about the future of Yoav Gallant. Today’s discussion is about whether we are continuing the path of Begin or the path of Ben Gvir,” he says, speaking to Kan News, referring to the founder of the Likud party, former prime minister Menachem Begin, and far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who belongs to the Otzma Yehudit party.

Under Begin, Likud was founded as a hawkish but staunchly liberal party.

“I continue to hold the same positions and principles I have held all my life, and especially as a wartime defense minister,” Gallant continues. “I am a member of Likud, and I came to fight for Likud.”

The petition to expel Gallant was filed about a year ago by party activists associated with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, led by Talia Einhorn, according to the Maariv daily. Her son, Yisrael Einhorn, is a former Netanyahu aide implicated in the so-called Qatargate scandal.

The petition claims that Gallant “acted against the Likud party and undermined the leadership of the prime minister” when he was defense minister.

Gallant resigned from the Knesset in January after Netanyahu fired him from his cabinet in November for the second and final time, citing a lack of mutual trust during a time of war.

The former defense minister argues that the reason for his dismissal was his insistence on the need to draft Haredi men into the IDF, the imperative to bring back the hostages from Gaza, and the need for a state commission of inquiry into the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror onslaught and ensuing war.

Turkey helps rescue Gaza activists after flotilla ship breaks down

Turkey helps evacuate activists aboard a Gaza-bound flotilla after one of the vessels broke down and began taking on water, organizers and Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu report.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, which includes Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg among its participants, departed from Barcelona earlier this month aiming to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza and deliver symbolic aid to the Strip.

In a statement posted on Instagram, the flotilla organizers says the mission was temporarily halted after one of the ships, Johnny M, sustained a leak in its engine room.

“All participants have been safely transferred to another vessel. Some will be reassigned to other ships, while others will be brought ashore,” the statement says.

According to Anadolu, the vessel was located in international waters between Crete, Cyprus and Egypt when it issued a distress call early this morning.

Turkish authorities, including the Turkish Red Crescent, coordinated the evacuation effort.

Semih Fener, the captain of one of the ships dispatched to assist, tells Anadolu the incident was due to a technical malfunction, not a sinking.

‘We understand your cause,’ says UK finance minister as pro-Palestinian heckles her speech

Britain’s finance minister Rachel Reeves is interrupted by a protester holding a Palestinian flag during her speech at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool.

“We understand your cause and we are recognizing a Palestinian state. But we are now a party in government, not a party of protest,” she responds.

????Chancellor Rachel Reeves HECKLED at Labour Party Conference pic.twitter.com/gU0MT2QEo2

— Robert O'Halloran (@robohalloran1) September 29, 2025

Palestinian-American Ruwa Romman enters the Georgia governor’s race

A Georgia state House member who advocated for Palestinians at the 2024 Democratic National Convention is entering the state’s race for governor.

Ruwa Romman announced her 2026 bid for governor, saying Democrats need a clearer vision and greater focus on organizing voters.

She’s at least the eighth Democrat to seek the office.

Romman, 32, was elected to the state House in 2022, representing a district in suburban Atlanta’s Gwinnett County. Among her goals are to raise Georgia’s minimum wage, reopen closed hospitals and force corporations to divest single-family houses they have purchased. She promises “a new kind of politics” that offers a “vision for the future” that will attract voters.

Romman last year was part of an uncommitted movement that withheld support from Vice President Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention because of opposition to President Joe Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

Born in Jordan and the granddaughter of Palestinian refugees, Romman was proposed as a speaker at the convention. She was never allowed to address the gathering but released the text of a speech that endorsed Harris while saying said she wanted the parties to “reach a ceasefire, end the killing of Palestinians, free all the Israeli and Palestinian hostages, and to begin the difficult work of building a path to collective peace and safety.”

An observant Muslim who wears a headscarf, Romman said her Palestinian heritage is not a liability.

“My identity is a positive because you know that because of my background, I am not going to back down from a fight,” she said. “I have seen oppression firsthand.”

She pushed back against a bill that defined antisemitism in state law, saying it could stifle criticism of the government of Israel.

Two rockets launched from Gaza, fall short in Strip

Two rockets were launched from the northern Gaza Strip at the Nahal Oz area a short while ago, the military says.

Interceptor missiles were launched at the two rockets, which ultimately did not cross the border and fell short inside the Strip, according to the IDF.

Alerts were activated in open areas only, and not in any towns, “according to protocol,” the military adds.

Likud MK says it’s in Israel’s interest to expel all Arabs from the West Bank

Likud MK Nissim Vaturi insists that it is in Israel’s interest to ensure that there are no Palestinians in the West Bank, echoing a previous call for expulsion from earlier this year.

Asked about a possible role for the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority in governing Gaza following the war, the Likud backbencher tells the Knesset Channel that “Israel’s primary interest” is that “there will be no Arabs here at all.”

“If it were possible to deport them all, we would do it tomorrow morning,” he states.

Vaturi adds that he does not differentiate between terrorists and civilians in this regard, stating that the Arabs of the West Bank overwhelmingly supported Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel and that “they will attack us as soon as they can.”

“Anyone who wants to murder Jews and that’s the goal of their life shouldn’t be here,” he insists, adding that he is not referring to all Arab Israelis, although there are Likud-supporting Arabs as well as “collaborators.”

Addressing an ultranationalist rally in Jerusalem in February, Vaturi called for the expulsion of all Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank, stating: “We want to remove all the Arabs from Gaza. They should not be in Judea and Samaria either.”

Vaturi has a history of making controversial remarks, including calling to “burn” Gaza.

Police officer questioned for involvement in corruption scandal surrounding Minister Golan

A police officer serving in the police’s Central District was detained by the Department for Internal Police Investigations (DIPI) yesterday on suspicion of involvement in the corruption scandal surrounding Social Equality Minister May Golan.

According to reports in the Hebrew media, the police officer is the son of another of the suspects in the investigation.

Golan is suspected of fraud, misusing public funds for private purposes, creating fictitious positions in the Social Equality Ministry, and concealing sources of funding. She is also likely to be questioned on suspicion of accepting a bribe.

Six months ago police raided her office and arrested six of her associates in connection with the suspicions against her.

On Sunday, the police’s prosecution department filed an indictment to the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court against the husband of one of Golan’s advisers on charges of illegally growing, producing, and preparing dangerous drugs, after he was discovered to be growing large amounts of cannabis in their home.

Planned Netanyahu trip to Argentina canceled for ‘technical reasons’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu planned to visit Argentina following his trip to the United States this week, but the visit was canceled “due to technical reasons,” a spokesperson for the Argentinian embassy tells The Times of Israel

The spokesperson is responding to a Ynet report that claimed that during a meeting last week between Netanyahu and Argentinian President Javier Milei on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Milei requested to postpone the visit over “political concerns.”

A visit from Netanyahu – who faces growing isolation on the global stage amid condemnation of the war in Gaza and international arrest warrants – would have come at a critical political juncture for Milei, who cited “Argentina’s upcoming parliamentary elections and concern it could hurt [Milei] politically at a time when his standing has weakened” as reason to postpone, according to the report.

The embassy spokesperson denies this.

Human rights lawyers filed a complaint last month in Argentina’s federal courts seeking Netanyahu’s arrest should he visit the country, amid reports of the possible September trip, according  to Reuters. The filing by Argentine attorney Rodolfo Yanzon and Raji Sourani, head of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, accuses Netanyahu of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Following their New York meeting, Netanyahu hailed Milei – one of Israel’s staunchest supporters, who announced in June that he would move Argentina’s embassy to Jerusalem next year – as “a true friend of Israel and the Jewish people, who stands firm against the systematic bias directed at Israel in the UN and other international forums.”

Reservist officer seriously wounded by blast in southern Syria

An IDF reservist officer was seriously wounded in an explosion near an army post in southern Syria earlier today, the military says.

The cause of the blast is under investigation, the IDF says, though according to an initial probe, the soldier was likely hit by an old mine.

Israel’s antisemitism envoy quits, citing lack of strategy

Michal Cotler-Wunsh says she is resigning as Israel’s voluntary Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism, citing the government’s failure to institutionalize the role and develop a national strategy to confront rising antisemitism.

Cotler-Wunsh, a former MK with the Blue and White party, took the position in September 2023, a month before Hamas launched its war against Israel on October 7, 2023, bringing antisemitism to the forefront of the international agenda.

Since then, she has traveled extensively to meet lawmakers, university leaders, Jewish communities, and international counterparts, and developed a comprehensive strategy for combating antisemitism globally that was signed by representatives of 40 countries, including Israel, Cotler-Wunsh says in a statement.

However, she charges, her recommendations to Israeli officials regarding what she refers to as Israel’s eighth battlefront were largely ignored.

“In the ongoing existential war, the ‘eighth front’ continues to rage without a comprehensive strategy or authority that enables and equips to fight in the manner necessary,” Cotler-Wunsh says, adding that she remains committed to fighting antisemitism around the world.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s father: No celebrations over killing of terrorist who captured my son

Jonathan Polin, the father of murdered hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, says that he did not celebrate when he was informed that the terrorist who captured his son had been killed.

Hersh was kidnapped from the Nova festival and murdered in captivity in August 2024.

Yesterday, the IDF announced that it had killed Muhammad Ahmad Yousef al-Jamal. Jamal had killed police officer Ch. Insp. Arnon Zmora, during a hostage rescue mission in the central Gaza Strip last summer. He had also reportedly commanded the Hamas forces that captured Hersh and several others from a bomb shelter they were in, also killing several others.

Polin said he was informed by the IDF that al-Jamal had been killed. “I reacted much like Michal Zmora did when she wrote ‘I’m still a widow, my children are still orphans.'”

“My thoughts are with Alon Ohel, the last hostage still alive in captivity from the bomb shelter, who is still surviving, still suffering,” Polin says.

“I don’t celebrate killings. I won’t celebrate until we bring back all the hostages.”

Polin also comments on the emerging Gaza peace plan being proposed by US President Donald Trump. “Maybe an agreement could bring me some kind of consolation.”

Man charged with attempted murder for Kibbutz Tzuba stabbing attack

A Palestinian resident of East Jerusalem accused of carrying out a stabbing attack in Kibbutz Tzuba earlier this month is indicted on one count of attempted murder as an act of terrorism.

According to the indictment filed to the Jerusalem District Court, Muhammed Hassan, a 42-year old resident of the Shuafat neighborhood, had worked as a dishwasher in the kibbutz canteen for several months.

On September 12, Hassan left the kitchen of the kibbutz canteen where he was working, made his way to the kitchen of the hotel located on the kibbutz, grabbed a sharpened 12-centimeter knife, entered the hotel dining room, and stabbed two of the diners in the chest before being stopped and apprehended by a hotel worker.

One of his victims, a 50-year old man, was severely wounded and needed several operations to repair damage to one of his lungs, while the other victim, a 23-year old man, suffered moderate wounds.

The indictment alleges that Hassan carried out the attack out of ideological and nationalistic motivations with an intent to murder his victims.

According to police, the suspected assailant told investigators that he stabbed his victims “because they were Jews, and because I wanted to be shot afterward,” a statement confirmed by the State Attorney’s Office.

EU confirms reimposition of Iran sanctions after UN move, freezes assets of the Iranian Central Bank

The European Union confirms today it has reimposed sweeping sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, after the United Nations reinstated its overarching measures.

“Today, the EU reinstated sanctions against Iran in response to its continued non-compliance with the nuclear agreement. The door for diplomatic negotiations remains open,” says the EU presidency in a statement.

The EU says the sanctions included freezing the assets of the Iranian Central Bank and other Iranian banks, as well as travel bans on certain Iranian officials.

The EU was also banning Iran’s purchase and transportation of crude oil and the sale or supply of gold and certain naval equipment.

The UN took that step over the weekend after Western powers triggered the so-called “snapback” mechanism under the 2015 nuclear accord.

The sanctions reintroduced by the 27-nation bloc include UN measures barring dealing with Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile activities.

Tehran has condemned as “unjustifiable” the reinstatement of the UN sanctions.

Outgoing senior IDF commander slams military for not taking responsibility

In a parting speech, Maj. Gen. Nimrod Aloni, who is resigning from the military after some 34 years, slams the IDF for not taking responsibility for its failures on October 7, 2023, and beyond.

Aloni headed the IDF’s Military Colleges and the shadowy Depth Corps. Maj. Gen. Dan Goldfus is taking over the Depth Corps. Last month, Maj. Gen. Dan Noyman took over as head of the Military Colleges from Aloni.

Aloni, at a handover ceremony, says he is “leaving an army in which the concept of responsibility has been trampled and desecrated, and which has lost the confidence to put its failures on the table.”

“Two years ago, we tried to contain our enemies from south and north, thinking that time would do us good, for the economy and growth, and that we could preserve the status quo over time. We were wrong, all of us,” he says.

Aloni, in his parting speech, does not mention the fact that he commanded the Gaza Division between 2020 and 2022, a year before the October 7 onslaught.

The Depth Corps was recently reorganized to be responsible for military operations beyond Israel’s borders, especially within the so-called “second circle,” meaning Iran’s proxies in Yemen, Iraq, and other areas not directly on Israel’s borders.

At the ceremony, Goldfus says the “transformation of the Depth Corps is not the result of an organizational initiative or distant vision, but rather a matter of urgency,” amid the ongoing multifront war.

“Our enemies are learning, strengthening, and changing. The range of fire is extending, and their technological capabilities are expanding. and the threat is not dependent on their geographical proximity,” he says.

“Just this morning, another Houthi missile was launched toward the State of Israel. The distant threat is near, and it too must be confronted and defeated,” Goldfus says.

Goldfus previously headed the Northern Corps, a relatively junior and dormant role in the General Staff. Before that, he commanded the 98th Division during months of fighting in the Gaza Strip.

Gantz offers support for Trump’s Gaza plan: ‘Better late than never’

Blue and White-National Unity chairman Benny Gantz expresses his support for US President Donald Trump’s 21-point plan for ending the war in Gaza ahead of a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the American leader.

“President Trump’s framework is a tremendous opportunity for Israel. We must stand firm on two principles without compromise: First, all the hostages return at the outset. That is the most urgent matter. Second, Israel maintains freedom of security action and does not entrust its security to a third party,” Gantz posts on X.

“This framework could have been reached long ago [but] better late than never,” he adds.

Smotrich lays out red lines for support of Trump’s Gaza plan: No PA or Qatari involvement, Palestinians be allowed to leave

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announces that he informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of his party’s “red lines” ahead of the premier’s upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump, at which the two are expected to discuss the president’s 21-point plan to end the Gaza war.

The far-right minister gives six conditions under which his party will support the deal that aims to end the war, set up a postwar governing mechanism, and bring back the 48 hostages held by the terror group,  20 of whom are believed to be alive.

In a statement, Smotrich says that his Religious Zionism party’s red lines “include ending the war only with the full and genuine dismantling and demilitarization of Hamas and the Gaza Strip.”

Israeli forces must remain on the perimeter of the Strip, including on the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egyptian border, and have complete freedom of action throughout the coastal territory, Smotrich says.

Smotrich demands that there be no role at all for the Palestinian Authority in ruling the Strip, not even obliquely, saying that such a role would be tantamount to acknowledging a Palestinian state.

Furthermore, he demands that the agreement contain “not even a hint” of a mention of a Palestinian state. “The idea of a Palestinian state needs to be completely removed from the table.”

Smotrich also demand that there be no role at all for Qatar in the postwar running of Gaza, calling the Gulf state “two-faced hypocrites that sponsor terror.”

Finally, Smotrich demands that the border to Egypt be opened to allow Palestinians who want to leave Gaza to go to any land that will accept them.

“Gaza will no longer be a prison where people are held by force illegally and immorally just to harm the State of Israel,” he says.

Smotrich also addresses the issue of Israel annexing the West Bank, one of the key issues of his party.

Referring to the West Bank by its biblical names, Smotrich writes that he expects Netanyahu to “establish politically and practically the fact that Judea and Samaria are an inseparable part of the sovereign state of Israel, and to put on the table an alternative plan for managing the lives of the Arabs of Judea and Samaria themselves.”

Trump’s 21-point plan outlines a potential pathway to a future Palestinian state, something Netanyahu firmly and repeatedly rejected, stating at the UN on Friday that such a move would be “sheer madness.” He has also consistently rejected the Palestinian Authority having any role in governing postwar Gaza, while Trump sees a possibility of a reformed PA helping run the Strip.

The two leaders’ governments don’t see eye-to-eye on the idea of Israel annexing parts of the West Bank, either. Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday, “I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. I will not allow it. It’s not going to happen.”

IDF says Air Force, Navy and ground forces all in action as troops push deeper into Gaza City

The Israeli Air Force struck some 140 targets in the Gaza Strip in the past day, including buildings used by terror groups, operatives, and other infrastructure, the military says.

The Israeli Navy also operated in Gaza, shelling a weapons depot and other buildings Hamas operatives were using, in the Strip’s north, the IDF says.

The strikes come as ground troops from three IDF divisions continue to push into Gaza City.

The IDF says the 36th Division destroyed several buildings used by Hamas to observe forces, and directed a drone strike that killed a cell of gunmen planting bombs; troops of the 98th Division killed a Hamas operative who had launched mortars at the forces; and soldiers of the 162nd Division killed several operatives and neutralized booby traps.

Elsewhere, in northern Gaza, the 99th Division hit several more buildings used by Hamas for surveillance; and in the Strip’s south, soldiers of the Gaza Division killed several operatives near the forces in the southern Khan Younis area, the IDF adds.

Arab nations, PA said demanding changes to Trump Gaza plan, want peacekeepers on border, not inside Strip

Several Arab nations and the Palestinian Authority have requested changes to Trump’s Gaza peace plan that he is set to present to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today, Channel 12 reports.

The report says they are asking to soften the language saying that Hamas will be disarmed, and instead say Hamas will be asked to hand over its weapons.

They are also asking that the immediate postwar government be more clearly aligned with the PA.

The are also suggesting that any international peacekeeping force be deployed along the border with Israel and not inside Gaza. That request apparently came at the behest of Hamas, the report says.

The report also says that both the PA and Qatar have objected to former UK prime minister Tony Blair having any role in overseeing the implementation of the deal.

Former Syrian post on Golan Heights to open to tourists for first time after mine-clearing operation

Ein Almin, a former Syrian military post on the Golan Heights, will be open to tourists for the first time over the upcoming Sukkot holiday after an operation to clear the site of mines and unexploded ordnance, the Defense Ministry announces.

The site, abandoned by Syrian forces during the 1967 Six Day War, had been closed off for decades due to safety fears. Spanning 45 dunams (11 acres), the outpost includes trenches, underground bunkers, and 15 above-ground structures once used by Syrian troops.

In preparation for the opening, the authorities cleared the area of more than 600 explosive devices and old weapons, including grenades, mortars, RPGs, and rifles. Visitors will be able to tour the site, view a display of munitions uncovered in recent years, and take part in a mock mine-detection activity.

“Over the course of 13 years of activity, the Israel National Mine Action Authority has cleared more than 45,000 dunams (11,000 acres) of minefields and unexploded ordnance from Dan to Eilat, with the aim of allowing the general public to safely travel in various tourist sites, expand agricultural land, and enable the construction of tens of thousands of industrial and residential buildings,” says head of the authority Shachar Beck.

“We invite the people of Israel to join us this coming Sukkot, to become acquainted firsthand with the work of mine clearance, and to enjoy for the first time in history a site that had been closed to the public for decades,” he adds.

Israel said pushing to limit Qatari influence in postwar Gaza, ensure IDF has freedom to act if Hamas rebuilds

Israel is pushing the US to make changes to US President Donald Trump’s 21-point Gaza peace plan, including limiting the role of Qatar in postwar Gaza, Ynet reports.

The report says Israel does not want Qatar to have any role in managing the Strip after the war amid deteriorating ties between Jerusalem and Doha. However, the US views the Qataris as a valuable partner and wants them to take a large role.

Israel is also pushing to have the agreement clearly state that the IDF will have freedom to act, should Hamas try to rearm or rebuild its forces after a deal is signed.

However, mediators are concerned that including such a statement could deter Hamas from agreeing to the deal.

IDF video shows troops locating explosives planted by Hamas in Gaza high-rise

The IDF publishes a video showing troops locating an explosive device planted by Hamas in a high-rise building in Gaza City.

According to the military, the bomb was found on the sixth floor of the tower, using a drone.

The booby-trap was “neutralized,” and no soldiers were injured in the incident, the army adds.

The IDF has struck dozens of tall buildings in Gaza City in recent weeks, saying they were being used by Hamas as command posts, for surveillance, and some were rigged up with booby-traps.

This drone video published September 29, 2025, shows the IDF locating what it is says is an explosive device planted in a high-rise building in Gaza City. (Israel Defense Forces)

Houthis claim overnight missile attack, say cluster bomb warhead targeted Tel Aviv area

The Houthis in Yemen take responsibility for an overnight ballistic missile attack on Israel, claiming to have targeted “several sensitive targets” in the Tel Aviv area using a projectile with a cluster bomb warhead.

According to the military, the missile was successfully intercepted. There were no reports of injuries or damage.

The Iran-backed Houthis have fired several missiles with cluster bomb warheads at Israel in recent weeks.

The terror group also claims to have launched two drones at Israel, targeting “two vital targets” in the Eilat area. There were no reports of Houthi drones reaching Israel in the past day, indicating that they likely fell short before reaching the country.

UEFA said to reassure Israel no plans to boot country from soccer federation over Gaza war

The European soccer governing body has sent a message to the the Israel Football Association (IFA) reassuring it that there are no plans to hold a meeting this week to consider banning Israel over the war in the Gaza Strip, the Ynet news site reports.

The unsourced report comes days after multiple reports that the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), of which Israel is a member, is set to decide in a vote this week on suspending Israel from the organization.

A majority of UEFA’s 20-member executive committee were expected to support any vote in favor of suspending Israeli teams from international play. Executive members in favor of the suspension are said to point to the ban in place against Russia since it invaded Ukraine in 2022.

It was not clear what caused the change in stance, but Israeli officials were said to have been actively lobbying UEFA to prevent a meeting on a vote.

Settler leader ‘very concerned’ after meeting Netanyahu: ‘This government could sign off on a Palestinian state’

Yossi Dagan, who heads the Samaria Regional Council, says that he emerged from a meeting in New York with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “very concerned.”

Dagan and other settler leaders met Netanyahu ahead of the prime minister’s meeting with US President Donald Trump, who is expected to push the Israeli leader to agree to his Gaza peace plan.

Dagan tells the Ynet news site the meeting was “very long and the feeling after is that we are very concerned.”

Dagan said Netanyahu listened to them but refused to commit to a time frame for Israel annexing the West Bank.

“This government could sign off on the establishment of a Palestinian state, that’s the next October 7,” Dagan said.

Dagan says they agreed to try and meet again ahead of Netanyahu’s meeting with Trump.

Herzog indicates he could grant Netanyahu a pardon

President Isaac Herzog indicates that he could grant Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a pardon in his corruption trial, saying the “case weighs heavily on Israeli society.

“The Netanyahu case weighs heavily on Israeli society. If there is a request or any process, I will divulge this to the public with full transparency,” Herzog tells Army Radio. “I will consider what’s best for the state and all other considerations.”

Netanyahu is on trial in three corruption cases. He faces charges of fraud and breach of trust in Case 1000 and Case 2000, and charges of bribery as well as fraud and breach of trust in Case 4000. He denies any wrongdoing and claims that all the charges were fabricated in a political coup led by the police and state prosecution.

Pro-EU party wins Moldova polls with over 50% of vote

Moldova’s pro-EU ruling party has won key parliamentary elections with more than 50 percent of the vote, official results show.

With over 99.5 percent of ballots counted, the Party of Action and Solidarity headed by President Maia Sandu had garnered 50.03 percent of the vote, compared to 24.26 percent for the pro-Russian Patriotic Bloc, according to results published on the election commission’s website.

Iran executes man accused of spying for Israel

Iran says it hanged a man accused of spying for Israel, the latest as Tehran carries out its largest wave of executions in decades.

Iran identifies the executed man as Bahman Choobiasl, whose case wasn’t immediately known in Iranian media reports or to activists monitoring the death penalty in the Islamic Republic.

Iran accused Choobiasl of meeting with officials from the Israeli spy agency Mossad. Iran’s Mizan news agency, which is the judiciary’s official mouthpiece, says Choobiasl worked on “sensitive telecommunications projects“ and reported about the “paths of importing electronic devices.”

Hostage families send letter to Trump ahead of Netanyahu meeting: ‘We need you’

The Hostage Family Forum send a letter to US President Donald Trump ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, thanking him profusely for his efforts to free the captives and imploring him to push the latest deal over the line.

“We are grateful, and dependent on your strength and the strength and awesome power of the United States of America,” they write, noting his commitment to their cause.

The families ask Trump to “stand firm against any attempts to sabotage the deal you have brought forth.”

“The stakes are too high, and our families have waited too long, for any interference to derail this progress.”

“Your dual focus on ending the war and bringing all 48 hostages home stands in stark contrast to the expanded war that Israel is currently conducting. We want to thank you for boldly sticking to your conviction despite this contrast,,” the letter says.

“Please, Mr. President, don’t stop. We need you. 48 of our loved ones – our fathers, siblings, children – need you. We need our loved ones home.”

Netanyahu meets settler leaders, pledges to raise West Bank sovereignty with Trump – report

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly meets with West Bank settlement leaders on Sunday night ahead of his Monday meeting with US President Donald Trump, and says he will raise the issue of Israel applying sovereignty to the West Bank.

But he also reportedly acknowledges facing a “complicated reality,” signaling that Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank is unlikely.

Reports in Hebrew media say that the meeting in New York includes Israel Ganz, who heads the Yesha Council, and Yossi Dagan, who heads the Samaria Regional Council, among others.

Netanyahu’s allies to the right, including settlement leaders, have been pushing for Israel to apply its sovereignty to parts of the West Bank, particularly as a reaction to the wave of Western countries recognizing a Palestinian state.

But Trump has ruled out Israeli West Bank annexation, and the UAE, which normalized relations with Israel five years ago, said the move would be a “red line.”

In the meeting, Netanyahu reportedly says Israel must “navigate a complicated reality.” He also compares Trump favorably to former US president Barack Obama, who vocally pressured Israel to freeze settlement construction.

“We have a supportive president,” Netanyahu reportedly says regarding Trump. “Remember the Obama era, when he told us not to lay even one brick.”

Earlier on Sunday, Ganz posted on X that he and other settlement leaders visited the New York City gravesite of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the late leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement, to pray for the military’s success, the return of the hostages held in Gaza, and the application of Israeli sovereignty to the West Bank.

He writes that the “clear message of settlement is — no to a Palestinian state, yes to applying sovereignty.”

יחד עם משלחת מועצת יש״ע פתחנו את הביקור בארה״ב בציון הרבי מלובביץ׳, להתפלל להצלחת חיילנו, לשיבת חטופינו, לחיזוק מדינת ישראל ולהחלת ריבונות ביו"ש. בימים הקרובים ננהל מרתון פגישות חשובות, בראשן פגישה עם רה"מ, להשמיע את המסר הברור של ההתיישבות – לא למדינה פלסטינית, כן להחלת ריבונות pic.twitter.com/IUnl73QutM

— ישראל גנץ – Israel Ganz (@israelganz) September 28, 2025

Signs of optimism on Gaza peace plan emerge as Netanyahu meets with Witkoff, Kushner

WASHINGTON — The addition of a press conference to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s White House meeting with US President Donald Trump raises speculation that the Trump administration is planning to announce that it has finalized its agreement for ending the war in Gaza and releasing the remaining Israeli hostages held there.

The US has secured initial backing for the plan from Arab and Muslim partners needed for the postwar management of Gaza.

However, Israel was still deliberating the plan on Sunday, while Hamas said it hadn’t even been presented with it yet.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff held a roughly two-hour meeting with Netanyahu at his hotel on Sunday, where the top Trump aide worked to get Netanyahu on board despite the prime minister’s pushback regarding the proposal’s terms for Hamas’s disarmament and the role of the Palestinian Authority in postwar Gaza, a source familiar with the discussions tells The Times of Israel.

Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and former senior adviser, also participated in the meetings.

Hebrew media reported that the Witkoff meeting went well and that Netanyahu is likely to express his support for the plan when the two leaders meet on Monday at the White House.

On Friday, Trump had begun declaring that he thought a deal had been reached.

But without Hamas’s approval, it’s unclear how significant an announcement of a deal would be.

One of the plan’s 21 points states that much of the agreement can move forward even if Hamas doesn’t agree, including the establishment of a new transitional government of Palestinian technocrats and an international stabilization force in areas cleared of Hamas’s presence — which includes the vast majority of the Strip.

But without Hamas releasing the remaining 48 hostages, it’s unlikely that Israel will agree to halt its offensive in Gaza City and beyond.

Moreover, the changes Netanyahu succeeded in making to the US plan could risk the support of the Arab and Muslim nations, which have emphasized the importance of a role for the PA in Gaza and a potential pathway to a future Palestinian state — two red lines for the Israeli premier that he surely sought to remove.

While the leaders of eight Arab and Muslim countries had an opportunity to sway Trump on these issues during their meeting last week on the UN General Assembly sidelines, Netanyahu has the advantage of potentially being the last regional leader to meet with the US president before an announcement is made regarding the plan to end the Gaza war.

Netanyahu’s White House visit to include lunch, meeting, press conference

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit with US President Donald Trump on Monday will include lunch and a meeting, as well as a press conference with the two leaders, according to a schedule distributed by the White House Sunday night local time.

The meeting, Netanyahu’s fourth trip to the White House since Trump returned to office in January, will focus on the US president’s 21-point plan to end the Gaza war, set up a postwar governing mechanism, and bring back the 48 hostages held by the terror group, some 20 of whom are thought to be alive.

Netanyahu has spent Sunday meeting with advisers in his hotel in preparation for the White House visit.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. local time (6 p.m. in Israel), when Trump will greet Netanyahu, according to the itinerary. The two men will then hold a meeting and sit for a meal together, followed by the press conference, scheduled for 1:15 p.m.

Kremlin says UK, French arsenals must ultimately be part of nuclear disarmament talks

Talks on reducing strategic nuclear weapons must first be conducted between Russia and the US, but the arsenals of Britain and France will ultimately have to be included in negotiations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov is quoted as saying on Sunday.

Peskov’s remarks come amid a Kremlin proposal to the US this month to voluntarily maintain for a year the limits on deployed strategic nuclear weapons. The limits were set out in their New START arms control treaty, which expires next year.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Putin’s proposal sounded “pretty good,” but the issue was up to US President Donald Trump. The US president has said he wants to open denuclearization talks with Russia and China.

“Naturally, we have to start talks at the bilateral level. New START is after all a bilateral document,” Peskov tells Russia’s TASS news agency.

“But in the long term, you cannot remain abstract with these arsenals,” he says. “All the more so that these arsenals are a component of the overall problem of global European security and strategic stability.”

New START was signed by then-presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev in 2010, came into force a year later and was extended in 2021 for five more years after then-US president Joe Biden took office.

In 2023, Putin suspended Russia’s participation, but Moscow said it would continue to observe the warhead limits. Putin this month made his offer to maintain the treaty’s limits as Ukraine tries to convince Trump to impose harsher sanctions on Russia over its February 2022 invasion.

Russia and the US have by far the biggest nuclear arsenals in the world. New START caps the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads at 1,550 and the number of delivery vehicles — missiles, submarines and bomber planes — at 700 on each side.

France and Britain, which were never a party to New START or its precursor treaties, have much smaller arsenals numbering between 250 and 300 warheads each.

Death toll in Michigan Mormon church attack rises to four, police say

Two additional bodies were recovered from a Mormon church in Michigan that a gunman attacked and set aflame on Sunday, police say, bringing the total death toll to four.

Grand Blanc Police Chief William Renye tells a press conference that “a couple additional bodies” had been recovered during an ongoing search through debris at the burned-down church. “So that makes our total victim count up to four victims,” he says.

5 Maccabi Tel Aviv fans arrested for rock throwing at Bnei Sakhnin soccer match; fireworks thrown on pitch

Violence erupted at a soccer match in the Arab town of Sakhnin, as five fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv were arrested on suspicion of throwing rocks, police say.

The rock-throwing followed unrest during the game between Maccabi and Bnei Sakhnin, which ended in a 0-0 draw.

Fireworks were repeatedly thrown on the pitch during the game, with one coming close to Maccabi’s goalkeeper, Hebrew media report.

“A number of fans disturbed public order and began throwing rocks at cars,” police say in a statement, according to Hebrew media. “Officers of the northern district who had positioned themselves ahead of time around the stadium identified several suspects in the act, and arrested five.”

Bnei Sakhnin said in a statement that Maccabi fans had been allowed to leave the stadium via an exit that placed them in proximity to the home team’s fans and their cars, leading to the clashes.

יציע סכנין ברגע שהשופט שרק לסיום והם יכלו לחגוג את ה0-0 pic.twitter.com/TLUGSDMlTL

— Tal Afek (@TalAfek11) September 28, 2025

Scores arrested on second day of Morocco protests, NGO says

Scores of people were arrested Sunday in Morocco during a second consecutive day of scattered protests called by a group seeking educational and public health reforms, a local rights group and AFP journalists report.

During the protests in Rabat, security forces prevent groups of young people from gathering in several places in the city center, where dozens are detained.

The protests, which also saw dozens of arrests on Saturday, were initiated by a collective known as “GenZ 212,” whose founders remain unknown.

Hakim Sikouk, president of the Rabat branch of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH), reports that there were “more than 100 arrests in Rabat and dozens of others in Casablanca, Marrakesh, Agadir and Souk Sebt.”

Sikouk also says that more than 70 people arrested the day before in Rabat had been released.

AFP was unable to reach the police on Sunday, and the authorities have made no official comment.

The arrests are condemned by the AMDH, as well as opposition parties.

GenZ 212 had put out the call for protests days before on the platform Discord, citing issues such as “health, education and the fight against corruption,” while professing its “love for the homeland.”

The protests come at a time of popular discontent over Morocco’s social inequalities, which have disproportionately affected young people and women.

Recent reports of the deaths of eight pregnant women at a public hospital in Agadir have been a particular source of public outrage.

IDF says missile shot at Israel by Yemen’s Houthis has been intercepted

A ballistic missile launched by the Houthis in Yemen at Israel a short while ago was intercepted by air defenses, the military says.

There are no immediate reports of impacts or injuries. Sirens had sounded in central Israel and in several southern West Bank settlements.

The Houthis, an Iran-backed terror group, have repeatedly attacked Israel with ballistic missiles and drones, saying they are doing so in support of Gaza amid Israel’s war there against Hamas.

Sirens sound in Israel after missile launch from Yemen, IDF working to shoot it down

Sirens sound in central Israel and in several southern West Bank settlements following the launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen.

The IDF says it is working to shoot down the projectile.

Ballistic missile launched from Yemen at Israel, IDF says

A ballistic missile has been launched from Yemen at Israel, the military says.

Sirens are expected to sound in central Israel in the coming minutes.

Ex-hostage Eliya Cohen hails IDF killing of Hamas terrorist who abducted him

Eliya Cohen and his fiancée welcome the news that the IDF eliminated the Hamas terrorist who abducted Cohen from a roadside bomb shelter and took him as a hostage to Gaza during the group’s October 7, 2023, attack.

“Wow, I think I’m the happiest person in the world right now,” says Cohen’s fiancée Ziv Aboud, in a story posted to Instagram.

“The one who abducted Eliya from the shelter, who pulled him out from among all the dead bodies, and loaded him into the pickup truck like he was a sack of potatoes, and was there on the truck to Gaza — the IDF took him down,” she says.

Aboud pans the camera to Cohen, and asks what he has to say about it. He thanks God, and says more terrorists are “next in line.”

The military and Shin Bet announced earlier today that Hassan Mahmoud Hassan Hussein, a commander for the terror group’s elite Nukhba force, was killed in a recent airstrike in the Gaza Strip.

Hussein, alongside another Nukhba force commander, Muhammad Abu Attawi, led the attack on a bomb shelter near Re’im where partygoers from the Nova music festival had fled to.

Four people, including Cohen, were taken hostage alive from the shelter and 16 were murdered. Seven managed to survive and were later rescued.