Netanyahu does not lose anything from Gaza deal except ‘possibly his current government’

Israeli political commentator, Ori Goldberg, says Netanyahu is now seen as the “complete package” for his political future as the prime minister who sought the “inevitable” war and agreed to a deal ending it.

“None of his potential heirs or competitors have done anything remotely at the same level of political savvy or political capability,” Goldberg told Al Jazeera from Tel Aviv.

“He has proven, as far as he is concerned, that he is listened to all over the world and he will present himself in the snap elections – that could very well be called in Israel – as the best, most capable candidate,” he explained.

He added that Netanyahu does not lose anything from this deal except possibly his current government, but “that wasn’t a government that was meant to live long”.

“As far as Netanyahu is concerned, and elections in Israel have borne this conclusion now to be true, he is the prime minister of a majority of Israeli Jews and there’s a reasonable chance that the majority of Israeli Jews may vote him into office again,” Goldberg said.


_{People react in Hostage Square in Tel Aviv following news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal}

Wanted war criminal by the ICC...

Smotrich says Hamas must be destroyed after captives return

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, known for his incendiary remarks, has said Hamas must be destroyed following the return of captives from Gaza.

“Immediately after the hostages return home, the state of Israel will continue to strive with all its might for the true eradication of Hamas and the genuine disarmament of Gaza, so that it no longer poses a threat to Israel,” Smotrich said in a post on X.

Smotrich said he will not vote in favour of a ceasefire deal with Hamas to end the war in Gaza, but stopped short of threatening to bring down Netanyahu’s coalition government.

“It is also imperative to ensure that we do not revert to the misconceptions of October 6th and become addicted again to artificial calm, diplomatic embraces, and smiling ceremonies, while mortgaging the future and paying horrific prices,” he also stated.

Egypt’s el-Sisi welcomes deal as ‘historic moment’ for Gaza

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi hails the Gaza ceasefire deal as a “historic moment” after “two years of suffering and woes”.

He said the accord “does not only close the chapter of war. It also opens the door of hope for the peoples of the region for a future defined by justice and stability”.

Moreover, the country’s Foreign Ministry also praised the development in the town of Sharm el-Sheikh, where the negotiations have taken place, as a “pivotal moment in the war in Gaza”.

A statement from the ministry added that Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty would travel to Paris today for a ministerial meeting to “discuss arrangements for the situation in the Gaza Strip”.

Peacekeeping forces on agenda at Paris meeting on Gaza transition, says German minister

Peacekeeping troops, a legal framework and a no-longer-dangerous Hamas are all necessary in the future as part of a plan for the Gaza Strip and will be discussed among international partners in Paris, says German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul.

“Humanitarian and medical aid must now reach Gaza quickly; the people need prospects for reconstruction,” he said on social media platform X.

France due to host Arab, European foreign ministers to discuss Gaza’s ‘day after’

The Paris meeting – due to start at 15:00 GMT today – will bring together top diplomats of five key Arab states – Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates – with European counterparts from France, Italy, Germany, Spain and the UK. Turkiye and the European Union will also be represented.

“This agreement must mark the end of the war and the beginning of a political solution based on the two-state solution,” France’s Emmanuel Macron said.

“They will be talking about Gaza the day after, those are the words of the French Foreign Ministry looking at the transitional process, looking at possible political solutions, and of course rebuilding,” said Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler, reporting from Paris.

According to the French ministry, the meeting is convening for “work on the implementation of the peace plan and the framework for the ‘day after’ by specifying the aspects of a collective commitment”.

Macron, in a September 22 speech at the United Nations, recognised a Palestinian state on the heels of similar announcements by Canada, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

Hamas claims Israel ‘manipulating’ steps agreed in ceasefire agreement

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem has told our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic that Israel had begun to “manipulate the dates, the lists, and some of the procedures and steps agreed upon in the ceasefire agreement”.

Qassem claimed that Netanyahu was doing this to “show the people that he is the one who controls things and is the one who moves and manages them”.

“We are in contact with the mediators to oblige the occupation to comply with what was agreed upon, and not to allow it to procrastinate. There was talk with friends about a ceasefire at noon this day, but the occupation, for internal considerations, is postponing the announcement to other dates,” Qassem explained.

“We continue to say that the occupation must abide by what was agreed upon, and we call on the mediators to work to oblige it,” he added.

Earlier, Netanyahu’s office announced that the ceasefire deal would only go into effect after it was approved during a cabinet meeting at 6pm (15:00 GMT).

Gaza ceasefire to begin within 24 hours after Israeli cabinet meeting: Spokesperson

Shosh Bedrosian, Israeli government spokesperson, says that within 24 hours after the cabinet meeting, there will be a ceasefire in Gaza.

During a news conference, Bedrosian said Israel had signed the final draft of the agreement in Egypt this morning. Setting out the steps outlined in the deal, she said that following the 24-hour period, a 72-hour timeframe will begin for the release of the captives and prisoners.

Bedrosian added that prominent Palestinian political leader Marwan Barghouti would not be part of this release.

Once the exchanges are complete, the troops will withdraw from the yellow line (shown below) and Israel will control and hold 53 percent of the Gaza Strip, she added.

At least one person killed in Israeli attack near southern Gaza’s Khan Younis

Amid celebrations to mark the ceasefire deal, Israeli forces have continued to attack areas in Gaza.

At least one person has been killed and others injured in the vicinity of Hamad City, northwest of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, a medical source at Nasser Hospital has told Al Jazeera.

A source at the Baptist Hospital told our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic that several Palestinians were injured in an Israeli drone attack that targeted Yarmouk School, west of Gaza City.

‘We must never forget the unbearable human cost of this conflict’: UN’s Guterres

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has delivered a statement on the initial ceasefire agreement. Speaking from the UN headquarters in New York, here are highlights of what he said:

Turkiye to join ‘task force’ to oversee Gaza ceasefire implementation, says Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that Ankara will participate in a “task force” to oversee the ceasefire deal.

“We will hopefully join the task force that will monitor the implementation of the agreement on the ground,” Erdogan said.

Turkiye joined representatives from Qatar, Egypt and the US in the Egyptian town of Sharm el-Sheikh to secure the deal between Israel and Hamas.

But, Erdogan reiterated that it was of “great importance to urgently deliver comprehensive humanitarian aid to Gaza, exchange captives and prisoners, and for Israel to immediately cease its attacks”.

The Turkish leader also promised his country would help with reconstruction efforts in Gaza.

Negotiations on prisoner lists still ongoing: Hamas source

A Hamas source has told our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic that mediators are continuing “intensive efforts” to finalise the prisoner lists within the next few hours.

The source said Hamas has been conducting a national dialogue with other Palestinian factions to present a unified position to Israel on the prisoner lists.

Why Israel unlikely to release detained Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti

Amid news of the advancing ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas, attention is turning to which Palestinian prisoners may be released from Israeli prisons.

One name at the top of the list is Marwan Barghouti, a Palestinian political leader associated with the Fatah movement who has been jailed for decades.

Barghouti is a popular, grassroots figure “who rose to prominence and has been seen by many Palestinians as someone who [represents] unity … [and] Palestinian aspirations to get free from occupation and have an independent state of their own,” Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim explained.

“But the fact that he [represents] the Palestinian community, that he unifies Palestinians – is the very same reason why Israel is still vetoing his name and does not want him to be released.”

Ibrahim added that Barghouti has been compared to South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, drawing support around the world. “He is not just known among Palestinians but known among those who are supporting the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian call for freedom.”


_{Israeli soldiers walk in front of a mural of Barghouti near the Qalandiya checkpoint between Jerusalem and Ramallah}

Trump hails ‘end’ of war, despite Israeli government not yet approving ceasefire deal

The US president has hailed an agreement between Hamas and Israel on a first phase of a ceasefire agreement, saying his administration “ended the war”.

The statement comes despite the Israeli government not yet approving the deal, surrounding which several questions remain.

“As you know, last night, we reached a momentous breakthrough in the Middle East, something that people said was never going to be done,” Trump said at a cabinet meeting.

“We ended the war and … on a much bigger basis, created peace, and I think it’s going to be a lasting peace, hopefully an everlasting peace,” he said.

He added captives should be released “Monday or Tuesday”.

‘Toxic rhetoric of war and hatred’ must end: UN rights chief

Volker Turk, the UN human rights chief, has called on countries around the world to “work collectively to ensure that the ceasefire plan is implemented in good faith”.

“All action going forward must be guided by the immediate goals of ending the killing, starvation and destruction, and ensuring the safe and dignified return of hostages and arbitrarily detained Palestinians,” Turk said in a statement.

He also stressed that access to Gaza – for humanitarian assistance as well as for aid workers, journalists and human rights monitors – is “crucial”.

“This momentum can and should, with continuing negotiations and a sustained focus on peace, lead to a permanent cessation of hostilities. The situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, must also be clearly kept in mind,” Turk said.

“As part of the recovery, there must also be a comprehensive process of transitional justice, with accountability for the gross violations and abuses of international human rights law and serious violations of international humanitarian law we have witnessed.”

Following #Gaza ceasefire plan announcement, @volker_turk says all action going forward must be guided by immediate goals of ending the killing, starvation & destruction, and ensuring safe and dignified return of hostages & arbitrarily detained Palestinians.

The toxic rhetoric… pic.twitter.com/OR05Ie5hKY

— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) October 9, 2025

‘Famine must be reverted’ in Gaza, UN humanitarian chief says

Tom Fletcher says the United Nations is ready to deliver desperately needed aid to Palestinians in Gaza, stressing that the agreement “cannot be a false dawn”.

“There will be some that will seek to prevent President Trump’s plan from being implemented, and that must not be allowed to happen,” Fletcher told reporters via video link during a briefing at UN headquarters in New York.

Outlining his plan for the first 60 days after the ceasefire takes hold, Fletcher said the UN “will aim to increase the pipeline of supplies to hundreds of trucks every day”.

“We will scale up the provision of food across Gaza to reach 2.2 million people who need food aid and around 500,000 people who need nutrition. Famine must be reverted in areas where it has taken hold and prevented in others.”

Gaza still facing dire humanitarian crisis

It’s not just a question of going back home – but [people are asking] about whether humanitarian aid is going to be allowed into the Gaza Strip in a much more sufficient flow, in order to be able to survive these difficult conditions.

A ceasefire does not translate right away into proper conditions for Palestinians in Gaza. Until there is sustained access to humanitarian aid, infrastructure rebuilding … the ceasefire won’t mean much to people living in crisis.

Whatever is available in the market is not enough and does not address the deepening humanitarian crisis created by months of devastation and destruction.

Ceasefire update already brings drop in food prices in Gaza: Christian Aid

Food prices are already starting to fall in Gaza with news of the ceasefire, according to the charity Christian Aid.

“The prices of goods have started to go down and down. For example, a sack of wheat flour is 30 shekels [$9], which is unbelievable,” said one of the charity’s consultants in the besieged enclave.

Two weeks ago, a 25kg (55lb) bag of flour cost 100 shekels ($29) according to research conducted by the charity in Khan Younis on September 27. As another example, the organisation said that today a kilogram (2.2lb) of tomatoes is approximately 50 shekels ($15), down from 80 ($24) before the ceasefire.

However, those who do not have cash and can only buy via electronic payment are penalised with extra fees, Christian Aid has found.

Still, there is respite for Gaza’s war-weary population.

“At long last, this news will offer people in Gaza some respite from the relentless bombardment, displacement and deprivation they have endured for the last two years,” said William Bell, head of Middle East policy and advocacy at Christian Aid, in a statement.

Any future Gaza plans must be ‘Palestinian-led’: Oxfam

Oxfam International’s Executive Director Amitabh Behar has said the announcement of the ceasefire deal in Gaza is a “desperately needed step towards ending Israel’s genocide in Gaza”.

“This fragile ceasefire must be the beginning of a sustained and principled effort that leads to ending Israel’s unlawful occupation and blockade. It must be focused on restoring rights and rebuilding lives,” Behar said in a statement.

“Any political or reconstruction plan must not entrench the occupation or further undermine Palestinian sovereignty,” Behar said in a statement.

Behar emphasised that the future of Gaza must be “Palestinian-led” and negotiation on the enclave’s future must “restore the foundations of daily life, rebuild shattered communities and offer pathways to healing and hope”.

“World leaders must ensure that this ceasefire is upheld by all parties, that those who committed war crimes are investigated and prosecuted, and the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination is upheld,” Behar added.

Hamas chief negotiator says received guarantees war will end

Khalil al-Hayya has said he has received guarantees from the US and mediators that the first phase of a ceasefire deal agreed to with Israel will lead to a lasting, permanent end to the war.

“We have received assurances from the brotherly mediators and the US administration, who have confirmed that the war is completely over,”  he said.

He added that 250 Palestinians serving life sentences in Israeli prisons will be released as part of the deal agreed to with Israel, alongside 1,700 Palestinians from Gaza who were arrested since the war began, and all Palestinian women and children detained by Israel.

He further hailed Palestinian resilience amid two years of war.

Fear as Israeli fighter jets seen over Gaza

We’ve been witnessing lots of aerial activity across the Gaza Strip. Fighter jets [have been spotted] more than once in the central and southern parts of the Strip, specifically over the al-Mawasi zone.

[They were] hovering at a dangerously low level, creating more intimidation, panic and fear among an already displaced and traumatised population.

It’s giving people a sense that nothing is finalised yet.

 
Casualties as Israeli army attacks Gaza City

Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic are reporting that an Israeli air raid hit a residential building in central Gaza City.

 The Gaza Civil Defence agency says more than 40 Palestinians remain trapped under the rubble of the home that was attacked in Gaza City’s Sabra neighbourhood.

Two women were rescued after the attack, the agency said, with efforts continuing “under extremely difficult and dangerous conditions”.

Four killed al-Sabra attack, bringing day’s death toll to 29: Wafa

The Palestinian news agency has reported that four people have been killed in the Israeli attack we’ve been reporting in the Sabra neighbourhood in Gaza City.

That brings the day’s death toll in Gaza to 29, according to the news agency, despite the ceasefire breakthroughs.

Hamas condemns Israel for ‘heinous massacre’ in Gaza City

The Palestinian group has condemned the Israeli attack on a residential building in the Sabra neighbourhood, saying it killed and injured more than 70 civilians, most of whom remain under the rubble.

The “heinous massacre … constitutes yet another brutal crime”, Hamas said in a statement shared on Telegram, accusing Netanyahu’s government of seeking to disrupt efforts to implement the ceasefire agreement to end the war on Gaza.

“The systematic massacres and crimes committed by the occupation against defenceless civilians, including women, children and the elderly, embody the true face of this hateful, bloodthirsty entity and reveal its fascist government’s insistence on continuing the genocide until the very last moment,” Hamas said.

It called on mediators and the Trump administration to immediately intervene to pressure Israel to stop attacking Palestinians.

Israel’s Ben-Gvir says will oppose deal, ‘dismantle government’ if Hamas rule doesn’t end

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has slammed the planned release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons as an “unbearable price” to be paid to reach a Gaza agreement.

As a result, Ben-Gvir said that he and other members of his Otzma Yehudit party would oppose the Trump-brokered plan.

Ben-Gvir also said that he told Netanyahu that he would not be part of any government “that will allow Hamas rule to continue in Gaza”.

“If the Hamas rule is not dismantled, or if we are only told that it is dismantled while in reality it will continue to exist under a different guise – Otzma Yehudit will dismantle the government,” he wrote in Hebrew on X.

Will Trump’s plan reach a second phase?

Muhanad Seloom, a political analyst at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, says he doubts the Trump plan will reach the second phase after the release of Israeli captives held in Gaza.

“This will be a test for American President Trump, if he will be the real guarantor that Arab states will [be able to] rely on,” Seloom told Al Jazeera.

“Will Netanyahu and President Trump see this through? I doubt it, but I hope that it will happen.”