In a phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz urges that talks in Egypt lead to a swift agreement on ending the conflict in Gaza.
“The Chancellor expressly supports President Trump’s peace plan,” a government statement reads. “Almost two years after the October 7, 2023, terror attack, this is the best chance for peace for the hostages and peace for Gaza.”
The spokesperson adds, “The announced withdrawal of Israeli forces in Gaza is the right step. Talks in Egypt must now lead to a swift end to hostilities, a comprehensive release of hostages, full humanitarian access, and Hamas’ disarmament.”
According to a readout from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, the two leaders “agreed to continue pressuring Hamas to secure the release of all hostages, with Netanyahu thanking Merz for Germany’s support.”
“We will continue to act decisively until all the objectives of the war are achieved, including the return of all the hostages and the assurance of Israel’s security,” Netanyahu says in the readout.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, October 5, 2025
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
