Protesters march in solidarity with Palestinians in Poland


_{A demonstrator shouts during the protest in the Polish capital, Warsaw}

Tens of thousands rally across Australia for peace in Palestine

Tens of thousands joined a pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney, one of dozens of demonstrations across Australia, with some protesters expressing scepticism that a ceasefire in Israel’s two-year-old assault of Gaza would hold.

The organiser, the Palestine Action Group, estimated a crowd of 30,000 in Sydney, the nation’s most populous city, one of about 27 nationwide that would hold protests.

“Even if the ceasefire holds, Israel is still conducting a military occupation of Gaza and the West Bank,” Amal Naser, an organiser of the Sydney rally, said in a statement. “The occupation as well as systemic discrimination against Palestinians living in Israel constitute an apartheid system.”

Protester Abbi Jordan said she was at the rally because “this so-called ceasefire will not hold”.

“Israel always breaks every ceasefire they’ve ever done. For 78 years, they’ve been conducting an illegal occupation in Palestinian territories, and we demand the Australian government sanction Israel,” Jordan said.



There's no ceasefire in the West Bank, still bombing Lebanon, still restrictions on Aid, still more destruction.

All I see are the perpetrators of this genocide regrouping to put an international spin on the financial colonization of Gaza.

GHF to close ‘temporarily’ during ceasefire implementation

Two unnamed officials have told The Associated Press that food distribution sites run by the controversial US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) are being shut down, although the group’s spokesperson said the changes are only temporary.

The GHF spokesperson, who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity, said there will be “tactical changes” to its operations and “temporary closures” during implementation of the ceasefire agreement.

“There is no change to our long-term plan.”

Hoda Goda, a Palestinian woman, said that a GHF site she often went to in Rafah, in southern Gaza, was already abandoned, and Palestinians had salvaged wood and metal from the fences set up at the site.

As we reported earlier, Palestinians found remnants of Israeli military munitions used to attack Palestinian aid seekers at a GHF site near the Netzarim Corridor, in central Gaza, that has also been abandoned.

Temporary?! Will the ceasefire even last a week.

Israeli military official says not all dead captives to return Monday

An Israeli military official says that not all dead abductees held by Palestinian fighters in Gaza are expected to be returned to Israel on Monday.

“Unfortunately, this is something we anticipate – that not all fallen hostages will be returned tomorrow,” the unnamed official told reporters during a briefing late on Sunday.

Earlier on Sunday, Shosh Bedrosian, the spokeswoman for the prime minister’s office, said an “international body” would be established to locate the remains of captives not returned as part of Monday’s prisoner exchange.

Hamas and other armed groups are believed to be holding 28 bodies of Israelis captured and taken to Gaza.

Well at least that means the ceasefire should last a bit longer.

UN says cooking gas has entered Gaza for first time since March

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that fuel needed for cooking food has entered the Gaza Strip for the first time in more than six months.

“More tents for displaced families, frozen meat, fresh fruit, flour and medicines also crossed into the Gaza Strip today,” OCHA said in its latest update.

The humanitarian agency said that it is also able to “assess key roads for explosive hazards” and to “support displaced families in flood-prone areas prepare for the winter season”.

‘All we can do is hope’

Israel unilaterally broke the last ceasefire in Gaza. AJ+ speaks to analyst Omar Rahman about what might make this deal different.

He says that while Israel has pulled out of past agreements once they reached a stage that called for an end to Israel’s assault, the visibly increased involvement of US President Donald Trump could yield new results.

“I can’t imagine what the people in Gaza feel at this moment… The loss of life, the loss of future, the loss of their homes and everything else. And so I think all we can do is hope.”

‘Everyone fears the war will return’

The third day of the ceasefire saw some aid trucks cross into Gaza, but residents in Khan Younis, in the south of the Strip, said that some shipments were being ransacked by starving residents in chaotic scenes, which have seen food parcels being trampled.

For Mahmud al-Muzain, a bystander, the scuffle showed that Palestinians in Gaza did not trust that the US-led negotiations would lead to a long-term peace.

“Everyone fears the war will return. We stockpile food out of fear and worry that the war will come back,” al-Muzain said.

Going forward, mediators still have the tricky task of securing a longer-term solution. Under the Trump plan, as Israel conducts a partial withdrawal from Gaza, it will be replaced by a multinational force coordinated by a US-led command centre in Israel.

Main events on October 12th

• Palestinian Authority (PA) Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh met former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to discuss post-war plans for Gaza and the implementation of US President Donald Trump’s plan.
• Vice President JD Vance said the US won’t be paying for Gaza reconstruction after Israel’s devastating two-year war, and that Gulf nations will mostly pick up the tab.
• Israel has warned Palestinians in the occupied West Bank against celebrating after prisoners are released on Monday.
• Unidentified gunmen killed Palestinian journalist Saleh Aljafarawi in the south of Gaza City.
• “The war is over. OK? You understand that?” Trump told reporters shortly before he boarded Air Force One for Egypt.
• The US president also said that Qatar should take credit for its efforts for peace and that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu did “a very good job” in the process of reaching a deal with Hamas.

Trump admin, UK government on collision course over Gaza peace deal claims

In an extraordinary development, a prominent US ambassador has publicly called a UK cabinet minister ‘delusional’ for claiming that the British government too played a key role behind the scenes’ to secure the Gaza peace deal. This has put both the Trump administration and the UK government at loggerheads hours before Keir Starmer flies to Egypt to be a part of the signing of the peace deal. Rifat Jawaid returns with sharp commentary.

First Major Aid Convoy Reaches Gaza Under Ceasefire Deal | DRM News | AC1N

Aid trucks entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom and Rafah crossings as part of the ongoing ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The convoys mark a significant step in ramping up humanitarian assistance across Gaza, allowing movement between the north and south for the first time in weeks.

Israeli forces kill Palestinian in Khan Younis

The Wafa news agency is reporting that Israeli soldiers have shot and killed a Palestinian in the Maen area of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. The shooting took place on Sunday evening. The agency did not provide further details.

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 67,806 Palestinians and wounded 170,066 others.

Palestinians return to neighbourhoods in ruins in Gaza City


_{A father and child walk past destroyed homes in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City, Gaza, on Sunday}

‘What will happen after today is very much up in the air’

Mouin Rabbani, a Middle East analyst and co-editor of Jadaliyya, has told Al Jazeera that the question is now whether today’s exchange “is the beginning or the end”.

“Some people have suggested that once Israel retrieves its captives, it will simply resume its genocidal military offensive in the Gaza Strip,” said Rabbani.

“Others have suggested that Israel will wait until negotiations collapse over the second stage of the Trump-Netanyahu proposal”, when “issues like governance and disarmament” are meant to be decided.

But Rabbani said, it is “equally plausible to suggest that this agreement will hold, and in some respects, will mimic the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, where the Palestinians cease fire and Israel continues to fire”.

“I think what will happen after today is very much up in the air, and it’s really unclear what will happen the minute Trump’s flight leaves back to Washington,” he added.

Israel revises list of Palestinian prisoners slated for release: Report

Israel’s Haaretz is reporting that Israeli ministers have approved several changes to the list of Palestinian prisoners who are set to be released as part of the ceasefire deal.

The changes include the removal of a Palestinian who had been previously released and the addition of two others “who are not serving life sentences and are affiliated with Hamas”, the news outlet reported.

It said that seven minors were taken off the list and two women were added.

Overall, 1,718 Palestinian prisoners will be released instead of the previously agreed-upon 1,722, Haaretz added.

The report came as Israeli authorities warned Palestinians in the occupied West Bank against celebrating the release of their loved ones. Hamas has meanwhile demanded the release of prominent Palestinian Marwan Barghouti, but it’s unclear if Israel will free him.

What we know about the Palestinian detainees, prisoners set for release

As we’ve been reporting, under the ceasefire deal, nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners are set to be released in exchange for the remaining Israeli captives held in Gaza.

Here’s what we know about them:

‘Fluid situation’ as Israel makes changes to list of Palestinian prisoners

There are some interesting reports coming out of the Israeli media about last-minute changes following demands by Hamas for an adjustment of the list of prisoners that they want to see released.

According to these reports, Hamas told Israel that two of the names on the list were ineligible because they are not Hamas members, and because one has already been released.

We understand that there have also been minor changes to the list of people from Gaza, who have been detained since October 7, 2023, including the removal of seven minors from the list, while adding two women and replacing some of that group with others from the same category.

It is all very complicated and very fluid.

Palestinian media are also reporting that Hamas is pushing for the inclusion of a man called Dr Hussam Abu Safia, a paediatrician from northern Gaza and the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, which came under repeated siege over the course of the war.

Dr Abu Safia was right at the forefront of publicising that siege, posting on social media, Instagram in particular, and showing what he had described as the atrocities that the Israeli forces were committing against medical facilities.

His son was killed in an Israeli attack in October of last year, and he was arrested a couple of months later. He is popular among Palestinians, and it remains to be seen whether he will be released.

_{Palestinians gathered at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on Sunday to call for Israel to free doctors and other health workers}


Hamas publishes list of Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel

Hamas has published the names of more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners it said would be released in the ceasefire deal with Israel. The Red Cross is expected to oversee the releases.

Several vehicles are already waiting at Israel’s Ofer Prison to transport the Palestinian prisoners back to either Gaza or the occupied West Bank.

Hamas says that Marwan Barghouti is off the list of prisoners to be released.

Supporters of Israeli captives gather in Tel Aviv

_{Families and supporters of Israeli captives due to freed from Gaza gathered in ‘Hostages Square’ in Tel Aviv early on Monday morning, awaiting their return}

Who are the Israeli captives set to be released by Hamas?

According to the list published by Hamas, the captives who will be released today include Elkana Bohbot, Matan Angrest, Avinatan Or, Yosef-Haim Ohana, Alon Ohel, Evyatar Davud, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Rom Braslavski, and twins Gali and Ziv Berman.

They also include Eitan Mor, Segev Kalfon, Maxim Herkin, Eitan Horn, Bar Kupershtein, Omri Miran, and brothers David Cunio and Ariel Cunio.

Israeli soldiers Nimrod Cohen and Matan Zangauker are also on the list.

Anticipation, fear in Israel as Hamas prepares to free captives

The families of the Israeli captives and their supporters spent the night at “Hostages Square” in Tel Aviv waiting for the release. There’s a lot of anticipation. There’s a lot of fear and apprehension because nobody’s going to believe that this is happening until it actually materialises.

There were last-minute changes concerning the names of the Palestinians from Gaza who will be released.

There were discussions until the last minute, and that increases the apprehension, who will be released and who will stay behind, and how many will stay behind. Those are the kind of answers that families will be looking for.

The gathering of war criminals, complicit in genocide. Most of them anyway, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan have been against the genocide since the start.

Who will be at the Gaza ceasefire summit in Sharm el-Sheikh?

As we’ve been reporting, the summit taking place in Egypt later today will be co-chaired by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. According to Egypt’s Al Qahera news, leaders or ministers from the following countries have confirmed they are attending:

Middle East: Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates

Europe: Armenia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom

Asia: Azerbaijan, India, Indonesia, Pakistan

UN chief Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the League of Arab States and the president of the European Council will also be in attendance.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that he and President Masoud Pezeshkian had decided not to accept an invitation to attend, adding that Tehran still supported any initiative “to end Israel’s genocide in Gaza”.

Trump to receive Israel’s Presidential Medal of Honour: Report

Israeli President Isaac Herzog will inform Trump of his decision to award the US leader Israel’s highest civilian honour upon his arrival in the country later today, according to local media.

Herzog said the award was in recognition of Trump’s “unwavering support” for Israel, including the Abraham Accords, the “historic” ceasefire agreements, securing the release of Israeli captives, as well as the US strikes on Iran.

Herzog will inform Trump of the decision during their meeting on Monday at the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, according to The Jerusalem Post and Ynet News.

Trump is also expected to address the Israeli parliament on Monday.

Captive-prisoner swap ‘leaves a lot of questions’

The ceremonies in Gaza and Israel marking the exchange are a significant event for thousands of people, especially the family members, political scientist and former PLO adviser Xavier Abu Eid says.

He added that the latest development “leaves a lot of questions” and uncertainties after the deal is done.

“We do not know what will happen next,” he told Al Jazeera. “We know that President Trump was very keen to get to where we are at now. But eventually, if the talks for a comprehensive peace are real, we need to include several elements that are not part of the deal.

“So far, the US has not been able to utter the term two-state solution or ending the Israeli occupation. Therefore, there are so many questions that are left open after this ceremony.”

Hamas hands over 7 captives to Red Cross in Gaza: Reports

Reuters reports Hamas has handed over seven Israeli captives to the ICRC. It cited an official involved in the operation.

Israel’s YNet and Hayom newspapers have also reported on the move.


_{ICRC teams drive through Gaza City on Monday as Hamas begins to release some living captives}

Hamas armed wing reaffirms commitment to ceasefire agreement

The Qassam Brigades has released a statement regarding the captive-prisoner exchange happening today.

Here are its translated comments:

Large crowds gathering in southern Gaza to meet freed prisoners

Large crowds are gathering in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, where hundreds of freed Palestinians are expected to arrive soon at Nasser Medical Complex.

The Red Cross is overseeing the logistics of the prisoner exchange, including the transfer of Palestinian detainees to a designated medical point in Khan Younis, set up inside Nasser Hospital specifically for this day.

Doctors and nurses at the site say they are standing by to receive the prisoners, who will undergo medical checks before being reunited with their families.

Thousands of Palestinians have gathered outside the hospital, waiting to welcome the released detainees. Witnesses say the atmosphere is one of anticipation and relief, with families arriving from across Gaza in hopes of seeing their loved ones.

Medical staff say prisoners released in previous exchanges often arrive exhausted, weak and malnourished, after months in detention under harsh conditions. Many are also described as mentally drained from their time in custody.

ICRC vehicles arrive in Khan Younis

A Red Cross bus and a number of other vehicles from the organisation have arrived in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, where Palestinians are eagerly awaiting the release of Palestinian prisoners who will be brought to Nasser Medical Complex.

Uncertainty looms over Palestinian prisoners’ release

Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh, reporting from Jordan, says 12 Palestinian prisoners set to be released back to the occupied West Bank will now be exiled, according to family members who were informed late last night of the change.

“Those who already knew of their sons being exiled tried to leave the occupied West Bank yesterday but were denied by the Israeli authorities,” she added. “There are a lot of emotions right now.”

Moreover, Odeh said, there was uncertainty about when Israel would release the Palestinian prisoners into Gaza.

Buses seen outside Israel’s Ofer prison

A number of white buses with Israeli flags and vehicles with flashing lights are being seen outside Israel’s Ofer military prison, in the occupied West Bank, where many of the Palestinian prisoners due to be released today are being held.


_{Vehicles move outside the Israeli military prison, Ofer, on the day Israel is expected to release Palestinian prisoners as part of a swap and a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Hamas and Israel}

Red Cross crews transporting sick Palestinian prisoner from Israeli jail

Wafa is reporting that Palestinian Red Crescent crews have entered Israel’s Ofer prison to “transport a sick prisoner who is scheduled to be released” today.