‘Peace is still very far away,’ former Israeli official says

Alon Liel, a former director of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, says he’s not confident of a lasting ceasefire in Gaza.

“I don’t think the Israeli government thinks in terms of a lasting peace agreement. I think we might see a ceasefire and exchange of hostages to prisoners. I’m not sure at all about an end to the war,” Liel told Al Jazeera from Tel Aviv.

“Peace is still very far away.”

He said on the eve of the two-year anniversary of the October 7 attacks, the Israeli public is extremely eager to get the captives held by Hamas returned from Gaza and Netanyahu recognises it.

“And I think the Palestinians would very much like to see their prisoners back, and I think this deal can be agreed – even if it will take a week or two. Then we go to issues of the depth of the [troop] withdrawal and the involvement or disappearance of Hamas. These are very complicated issues,” Liel said.

“This will be done under fire because we have so many soldiers there you cannot prevent clashes and hostilities.”

‘If Netanyahu wants to keep his troops inside Gaza that’s a recipe for disaster’

Mustafa Barghouti, secretary general of the Palestinian National Initiative, says he optimistic about the indirect ceasefire talks now under way in Cairo but also “cautious”.

“Netanyahu has destroyed previous agreements before, even when these agreements were concluded with the American side, and so he’s capable of destroying it again,” Barghouti told Al Jazeera from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

Barghouti said it’s unclear what the far-right Israeli government will do once it gets the captives back from Hamas, and may choose to continue “its genocidal war on Gaza”.

“It’s easy to exchange prisoners and it can happen – 48 Israeli captives versus more than 1,500 Palestinian captives out of the 14,000 in Israeli jails now. But the main problem is the issue of withdrawal. If Netanyahu wants to keep his troops inside Gaza that’s a recipe for disaster.”

A 10-point plan to put Palestinians and Israelis on path to peace

Hamas sent its response to Trump’s “20-point Gaza peace plan” on Friday. Importantly, the Palestinian group agreed to hand over the administration of Gaza to a group of technocrats and free all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

The US president welcomed the response and told Israel to “immediately stop bombing”. Yet, in the 72 hours after Hamas submitted its response, Israeli attacks have killed at least 130 Palestinians in Gaza.

While the Trump plan may bring a temporary respite for the Palestinians, it will not achieve peace. For this to happen, we also need a plan that makes demands of Israel and eliminates its genocidal drive.

1. Israeli politics and public sphere need to be deradicalised. Over the past 24 months, the Israeli political elite have been cheerleaders of genocide, publicly celebrating the erasure of Palestinian life in Gaza with complete impunity. Much of the Israeli public has also tagged along. The Israeli state will need to institute programmes that promote values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence within state institutions and within the education system to address this.

2. The Israeli army needs to be reformed. Be it the deliberate targeting of Palestinian civilians or the social media posts by Israeli soldiers from the battleground mocking the destruction of Palestinian homes – the dehumanisation of Palestinians is deeply embedded in the armed forces. Israeli authorities will need to engage in a concerted effort to formulate and implement a new military code of conduct rooted in the dictates of international humanitarian law.

3. Israeli political and military leaders must be tried at the International Criminal Court. Forensic experts, civil society organisations, human rights groups and activists have been collecting evidence of the nature of the Israeli military campaign. This evidence could be the basis of the legal proceedings.

4. Gaza must be opened up. This means there must be an end to the siege by land, air and sea that has been in place since 2007. The free movement of people and goods must be allowed.

5. International observers or a protective force must be deployed in Gaza to make sure there are no violations – either by the Israeli military or by Israeli extremists.

6. Taking the cue from the 2024 International Court of Justice ruling that settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law, the Israeli authorities must stop and criminalise all settlement activities, including activism, lobbying and fundraising efforts geared towards expanding settlements or establishing new outposts.

7. The West Bank and Jerusalem must be demilitarised and deoccupied. This would entail the dismantling of Israeli military infrastructure, checkpoints, watchtowers and walls that have systematically fractured the land and worked to circumscribe the Palestinian right to a homeland.

8. While the US plan requires Israel to release 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 1,700 detainees, thousands of Palestinians remain in custody without trial. There will need to be a swift end to the Israeli policy of administrative detention and a wider plan to release the remaining Palestinians in Israeli prisons.

9. Israel will have to enter into negotiations to address the Palestinians’ right of return. This will need to happen through direct discussions and negotiations with the Palestinians in Palestine and the diaspora as well as representatives of United Nations bodies and civil society groups who have worked closely with Palestinian refugees and are well-versed in the immediate socioeconomic needs of this historically marginalised community.

10. Over the years, Israel has ramped up its public diplomacy efforts to gain global support for its policies. In 2024, these efforts received an infusion of about $150m in public funds. This money has been used for pro-Israel social media campaigns, lobbying efforts, fellowships and trips to Israel for non-Israeli businesspeople, journalists, politicians and decision-makers. Such investments have paid dividends through the crackdown on Palestinian solidarity efforts, especially in the West, since the start of the genocide in Gaza. Israel must, therefore, allow an international panel of experts to investigate the workings of its public diplomacy efforts and whether such efforts violate the sovereignty as well as the freedom of expression laws of other nations.

Yep, that all absolutely needs to happen for peace to be possible in the ME. And that will take generations to accomplish :/

Israeli army storms occupied West Bank community near Tubas

Israeli soldiers have raided the Bziq community north of Tubas in the occupied West Bank, the Wafa news agency reports.

They also informed the principal of the local school that today is the last day it will operate.

In a separate report, the Palestinian news agency said settlers and Israeli soldiers also raided the Al-Tahadi School in Khirbet Ibziq, a village northeast of Tubas, while students and staff were present.

‘We are coming’: Aid activists plan to reach Gaza by Friday

A spokesperson on board the Conscience vessel has promised it will continue its course towards Gaza in an effort to break Israel’s blockade and reach the besieged Palestinian enclave by Friday.

“We are out here not only on the Conscience but also with eight other vessels from the Thousand Madleens organizations. We are just another wave of civilian vessels going to challenge Israel’s illegal blockade, siege and genocide on the Palestinian people,” Huwaida Arraf told reporters.

The Conscience is specifically dedicated to healthcare and media workers under fire in Gaza, she said.

“We have dozens of each on this boat. These two professions are targeted in Gaza,” Arraf said, adding that they’re “being killed, are being tortured” and “their families are being targeted”.

“And we are sailing here to say to the world that this must end. The world must rise up and ensure that it ends by sanctioning Israel.”

Arraf also addressed the people of Gaza: “You are not alone. We are coming. We are trying to reach you.”

Women in Turkey form human chain in solidarity with Gaza

Hundreds of women in Istanbul formed a human chain to express solidarity with Palestinian women and children killed in Israel’s war on Gaza.

The demonstration – where participants held hands or stood shoulder to shoulder – was organised by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party.

Similar protests took place simultaneously in Ankara and other cities across Turkey. Many of the women waved Palestinian flags or wore the traditional kaffiyeh scarf.

The demonstrations come on the eve of the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks by Hamas. That assault triggered Israel’s devastating war on Gaza, which has since claimed more than 67,100 Palestinian lives.


_{People march during a pro-Palestinian protest in Istanbul, Turkey}

Greta Thunberg lands in Greece after Israel deportation

Activist Greta Thunberg has landed in Athens along with 160 other nationals from 16 European countries expelled to Greece by Israel for taking part in a Gaza aid flotilla.

The 22-year-old Swedish climate campaigner was among hundreds of people who were on the 45-vessel flotilla that unsuccessfully tried to break through an Israeli blockade to deliver aid to Gaza.

At Athens International Airport, activists unfurled a huge Palestinian flag in the arrivals hall and chanted “Freedom for Palestine” and “Long live the flotilla!” to welcome Thunberg and the other activists back to Europe.

On arrival at the airport, Thunberg called the Global Sumud Flotilla “the biggest ever attempt to break Israel’s illegal and inhumane siege by sea”.

“That this mission has to exist is a shame,” she added, urging the world to prevent Israel’s “genocide” of the Palestinians. “We are not even seeing the bare minimum from our governments,” said Thunberg.

Top Vatican diplomat condemns Gaza ‘carnage’

The Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, has condemned the “carnage” in Gaza and said it’s “unacceptable” to dismiss the death toll there as “collateral damage”.

Parolin said the war “has brought about disastrous and inhuman consequences”, adding he’s struck by the daily death toll among the Palestinian population, including “so many children whose only fault seems to be having been born there”.

“We risk becoming desensitised to this carnage,” Parolin said in the interview published in Italian and English. “It is unacceptable and unjustifiable to reduce human beings to mere ‘collateral damage’.”

Parolin said it’s “clear that the international community is, unfortunately, powerless and that the countries truly capable of exerting influence have so far failed to act to stop the ongoing massacre”.

“It’s not enough to say that what is happening is unacceptable and then continue to allow it to happen.”

Struggle is more than just ending Israel’s war on Gaza, official says

The United States as the guarantor of the Gaza peace deal must ensure Israel doesn’t restart the war once it gets its captives back from Hamas, says Mustafa Barghouti from the Palestinian National Initiative.

“The [troop] withdrawal can be done in stages, but two things have to be clear: Israel cannot keep inside Gaza any points under their occupation, and Israel must give up this idea of keeping 25 percent of Gaza under their control,” Barghouti told Al Jazeera.

After 92 percent of the territory has been destroyed, the Palestinians “need every inch” of it to rebuild their shattered lives, he added.

The unprecedented global support for the Palestinian cause must continue even after the war, said Barghouti.

“This international solidarity movement must not be defused. What we’re struggling for is not just the end of the war, it’s the freedom of the Palestinian people and the end of Israeli occupation.”

More scepticism that Netanyahu will follow through on deal

All eyes will be on Israel’s leader after any peace deal with Hamas is reached to see if he’ll fulfill all of the ceasefire’s obligations, unlike the last truce, a former Israeli diplomat says.

“He said he’s committed to the negotiations on phase one, he did not say anything about the further phases of the Trump plan,” Alon Pinkas told Al Jazeera.

Pinkas said he’s concerned Netanyahu will “renege” as he did in March when he broke the last ceasefire.

“It is against Netanyahu’s interests to end the war right now because that would require an Israeli withdrawal. At this point I just hope that the hostages come back in a prisoner exchange, but I am very sceptical about the other stages,” said Pinkas.

“He’s reached the point where he tells his coalition what they want to hear, or he tells Trump what he wants to hear. He can’t keep lying to both.”

Trump says Hamas ‘very important’ issues

US President Donald Trump said Monday that Hamas was agreeing to “very important” issues as the Palestinian armed group opened indirect talks with Israel on a Gaza peace deal.

“I think we’re doing very well and I think Hamas has been agreeing to things that are very important,” Trump said when asked about the talks by reporters in the Oval Office.

The problem isn't Hamas, it's Netanyahu and his coalition.

UN ready to surge humanitarian aid to Gaza once it gets ‘green light’

United Nations officials are in touch with mediators trying to end the war on Gaza and will get aid into the enclave as soon as they get the “green light”, says UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

“We’ve been ready and the machinery is cranked up and ready to go as soon as we get the green light,” he said.

“There are many thousands of metric tons in the pipeline of goods ready to enter” from Jordan, the Israeli port of Ashdod, and elsewhere, Dujarric added.

Greta Thunberg Blasts Israel, 'Complicit' World Leaders After Release From Israeli Jail

Greta Thunberg delivered a fiery speech in Athens after her release from Israeli detention, calling Israel’s Gaza actions a “live-streamed genocide” and urging governments to “end complicity and arms transfers.” Speaking to thousands, she condemned global silence and vowed to keep fighting for Palestine through the Global Sumud Flotilla.

"It's Not a Peace Plan": Ex-Israeli Negotiator Daniel Levy on Trump Push to End War on Gaza

President Trump is calling on negotiators to "move fast" on Gaza ceasefire talks as delegations from Hamas and Israel convene in Egypt to discuss the 20-point plan announced last week by the White House. The deal calls for Hamas to release all remaining hostages and to disarm. Daniel Levy, president of the U.S./Middle East Project, says it is unclear whether the plan will lead to an end to genocide in Gaza, yet "with all the faults in this plan, and there are multiple, … Biden never pushed this hard," says Levy.

Mass arrests at Palestine Action protest: ‘I’m 73 and never hurt a fly'

Protesters gathered in London at Trafalgar Square on Saturday, with the third demonstration organised by campaign group Defend Our Juries going ahead despite pleas from Keir Starmer to postpone it in the wake of a fatal terror attack on a synagogue in Manchester.

Participants had gathered to show their opposition to the government's proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist group, and to highlight the ongoing famine, war and genocide in Gaza. The Guardian spoke with protesters and bystanders as almost 500 people were arrested.

Main events on October 6th

• Indirect talks on ending Israel’s war on Gaza have started in Egypt but few details have emerged.
• Israeli attacks on Gaza continued across the enclave with at least 10 Palestinians, including aid seekers, killed since dawn.
• At least 104 people have been killed in Gaza by Israeli forces since Friday, the day US President Donald Trump called on Israel to halt its bombing campaign.
• Israel has deported 171 Global Sumud Flotilla activists, including Greta Thunberg. Lawyers say detainees from the Gaza-bound aid flotilla were mistreated and denied basic rights while in Israeli custody.
• President Trump said he believes there will be a Gaza deal soon, adding “tremendous progress” on ending the devastating two-year war has been made.
• In the occupied West Bank, Israeli settlers assaulted peace activists and uprooted 120 Palestinian-owned olive trees near Ramallah.

South Africans intensify campaign to isolate Israel

South Africa captured the world’s attention when it took the bold step of bringing Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

But two years later, many South Africans say it’s not enough. Roshan Dadoo, coordinator of the South African Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, said the government must take material steps.

“We still have the Israeli embassy here in Pretoria, and we are calling for that to be shut down and to end trade with Israel,” she said. “It’s horrific that South Africa’s coal is still being shipped to Israel to support its electricity grid, which fuels the genocide and fuels the illegal settlements.”

Dadoo praised the government’s decision to take Israel to the ICJ, but said Pretoria must now follow through on concrete actions.

“We are literally complicit in genocide. We are complicit in the illegal occupation as long as we don’t take these measures.”