Trump confirms Gaza ceasefire still in effect

Asked by a reporter on board Air Force One whether the Gaza ceasefire is still in effect the US president responded: “Yes, it is.”

“We want to make sure that it’s going to be very peaceful with Hamas,” Trump said. “And as you know, they’ve been quite rambunctious… but either way … it’s going to be handled toughly, but properly.”

JD Vance says Gaza ‘security infrastructure’ needed before Hamas disarms

The US vice president suggests that international peacekeepers need to deploy to Gaza to maintain security in the territory before Hamas disarms.

“Before we actually can ensure that Hamas is properly disarmed, that’s going to require… some of these Gulf Arab states to get forces in there to actually apply some law and order and some security-keeping on the ground,” Vance told reporters.

“We don’t even have the security infrastructure in place, meaning the Gulf Arab states, our allies, don’t have the security infrastructure in place yet to confirm that Hamas is disarmed,” he added.

According to several US and Israeli media reports, Vance is set to visit Israel in the coming days.

Israel resumed enforcing ceasefire after security consultations

On Sunday night, the Israeli military said that it was going back to enforcing the ceasefire agreement after a directive from the country’s political echelon.

The military also said that it would be responding firmly to any violations of the ceasefire that they felt were taking place now.  Earlier in the day, on Sunday, two Israeli soldiers were killed and three others injured in an [alleged] attack that Hamas is denying responsibility for.

But the Israeli prime minister held a security consultation on Sunday about how Israel is going to respond and what they are going to do moving forward.

There are still 16 bodies of Israeli captives being held in Gaza, and Netanyahu says that he’s going to continue cutting humanitarian aid in half and not going to be willing to discuss the second part of Trump’s plan until those hostages are released.

But we are expecting some high-profile visits in Israel this week. The American envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, along with Jared Kushner, two people who were instrumental in the ceasefire negotiations, and later on in the week, the American vice president, JD Vance, will visit Israel to discuss the implementation of the next parts of Trump’s deal.

So continue to violate the ceasefire agreement by restricting aid and keeping the Rafah crossing closed.

Despite ceasefire, Israel openly uses aid as weapon against Palestinians

Nearly a year after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over war crimes charges, including using starvation as a weapon of war, the Israeli prime minister continues to threaten Palestinians with restricting aid.

On Sunday, the Israeli government temporarily halted the flow of humanitarian assistance, and for days, it has been partially blocking the aid to pressure Hamas to locate and transfer the bodies of slain captives.

Blocking aid appears to be a clear violation of the ceasefire. It is also a breach of international humanitarian law.

The ICC Statute bars “using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare by depriving them of objects indispensable to their survival, including wilfully impeding relief supplies as provided for under the Geneva Conventions”.

Moreover, UN investigators concluded in a report last month that Israel was using hunger as part of its genocidal campaign in Gaza.

“Israel’s use of starvation as a method of war through the total siege on the Gaza Strip has had devastating impacts on children as well, resulting in starvation, alarmingly high rates of acute malnutrition, increasing risks of outbreak of diseases such as cholera and chronic diarrhoea and significant excess mortality,” the report said.

Even after the ceasefire, Israel has continued to block aid to Gaza, while blaming other parties, including Hamas and the UN, for the humanitarian crisis in the territory.

Palestinians ‘don’t have the wherewithal’ to prevent resumption of genocide

Human rights advocate and former UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness highlights the difficulty of retrieving the bodies of slain captives in Gaza, and stresses that Palestinians have little power to stop the resumption of the genocide.

“In this respect, the deal was set up to fail, right? Because there were so many bodies under so much rubble, there was so much confusion after two years of genocide, it was going to be very difficult for anybody to deliver the bodies of the captives,” Gunness told AJ+.

“So Israel has a pretext to call off the plan, to reimpose the blockade, to restart the genocide if it wants to, and the Palestinians in Gaza really don’t have the wherewithal to prevent it.”

“The deal was set up to fail, right?”

Former UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness spoke to @Dena about how the conditions of the ceasefire in Gaza don’t guarantee the access to aid that Palestinians need. pic.twitter.com/bkzMqni7B4

— AJ+ (@ajplus) October 20, 2025

Rights group shares names of family killed in Israeli attack

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) has shared details of an Israeli attack that killed 11 members of the same family in Gaza on Friday, including the names of the victims.

They are: Sufian Sha’ban; his wife, Samar Mohammed Nasser Sha’ban, and their children Karam,10, Anas, 8, and Nesma,12; as well as Ihab Mohammed Nasser Abu Sha’ban, 38, his wife, Randa Majed Mohammed Sha’ban, 36, and their children Nasser, 13, Jumana, 10, Ibrahim, 6, and Mohammed, 5.

“The family was moving from the southern Gaza Strip to Gaza City in a vehicle with an open rear roof, clearly indicating its civilian nature,” the PCHR wrote in a report detailing the attack.

“This crime is not an isolated incident but rather part of a recurring Israeli pattern of airstrikes, drone fire, and intermittent artillery shelling targeting Palestinian civilians without any military necessity,” the PCHR added.

Israeli Occupation Forces Kill 11 Civilians, Including 6 Children and 2 Women from the Same Family, in Gaza Despite Ceasefirehttps://t.co/ePT8r9Ekau

— Palestinian Centre for Human Rights - PCHR (@pchrgaza) October 19, 2025

Beloved Gaza veterinarian killed during ceasefire

Sulala Animal Rescue, which works to protect and help animals in Gaza, has confirmed that one of its veterinarians, Mu’ath Abu Rukba, was killed while trying to check on his home in Jabalia in the north of the territory.

Abu Rukba had gone missing after the ceasefire came into effect. The group did not share details about how and when exactly he was killed, but Israel has been shooting Palestinians whom it deems to have crossed an invisible line of Israeli control.

“He was an example of good manners and generosity, carrying a message of mercy,” Sulala Animal Rescue said of Abu Rukba.

To God we belong and to Him we shall return...With deep sorrow and grief, we mourn the martyrdom of our friend, veterinarian Dr. Mu'ath Abu Rukba, who was killed in Jabalia while checking on his home.
He was an example of good manners and generosity, carrying a message of mercy pic.twitter.com/2u02G4j6sb

— Sulala Animal Rescue (@SulalaSociety) October 19, 2025

Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinians in Gaza City

Two Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military gunfire in the Tuffah neighbourhood of Gaza City, Wafa reports, citing a medical source at al-Ahli Arab Hospital.


Israeli army says it killed Palestinians in northern Gaza

The Israeli army says it shot and killed several Palestinians in the Shujayea neighbourhood, alleging they “posed a threat” to Israeli soldiers after they crossed the yellow line.

At least 97 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks across Gaza since the start of the latest ceasefire on October 10.

At least 24 bodies brought to al-Awda Hospital in last 24 hours

At least 24 bodies and 74 wounded people were brought to al-Awda Hospital in the last 24 hours, sources there told Al Jazeera. Israeli air raids hit multiple areas across Gaza yesterday:

US congresswoman renews call for releasing American boy held by Israel

Progressive lawmaker Ayanna Pressley says Washington should do all it can to ensure the release of teenage captive Mohammed Ibrahim, a US citizen held by Israel since February.

“Right now, Mohammed Ibrahim, a US citizen, is being held in an Israeli prison. His health is deteriorating. The circumstances are desperate,” Pressley wrote in a social media post.

“The United States must use every avenue available to secure the release of this Palestinian American child.”

Mohammed, 16, has been drastically losing weight while in Israeli custody and is suffering from scabies – a skin infection. His relatives previously told Al Jazeera that they fear for his life.

Mohammed Ibrahim

Palestinian Mahmoud Abdullah was 79th to die in Israeli prisons

As we reported earlier, Palestinian detainee Mahmoud Abdullah, 49, from the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, has died months after he was imprisoned by Israeli forces.

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society has said that Abdullah was the 79th Palestinian known to have died in Israeli imprisonment since October 2023, noting that dozens more people have been subjected to enforced disappearances.

Palestinian prisoner’s health worsens in Israeli jail due to lack of treatment

Azmi Nader Abu Hleil, a Palestinian held in Israel’s Ofer prison since December last year, is suffering from “severe health complications after contracting scabies … without receiving the necessary medical treatment for more than six months”, Wafa news agency is reporting, citing the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS).

In a statement, the PPS said Abu Hleil’s condition “has deteriorated critically, as abscesses have spread across his body, accompanied by visible cracks and sores”.

“The detainee, from the town of Dura in Hebron, was subjected to a violent assault by prison forces last September after repeatedly demanding medical treatment, during which the forces fired rubber-coated metal bullets at him, further aggravating his already fragile health condition,” the report said.

There are still about 9,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Last August, Israeli rights group B’Tselem said in a report that the Israeli prison system was a “network of torture camps” with “frequent acts of severe, arbitrary violence; sexual assault; humiliation and degradation; deliberate starvation; forced unhygienic conditions; sleep deprivation; prohibition on, and punitive measures for, religious worship; confiscation of all communal and personal belongings; and denial of adequate medical treatment”.

The Forgotten Captives: Israel Still Imprisoning 9,000 Palestinians Even After Hostage Deal

"Even after having released almost 2,000 people last week, the Israeli military is still holding about 9,000 Palestinians and what it calls security prisoners or detainees," says Sari Bashi, an Israeli American human rights lawyer and former program director at Human Rights Watch. "Only about a thousand of them have actually been convicted of any crime. The vast majority of people being held are being held without trial."

US congresswoman says Americans ‘sick’ of paying for war

Marjorie Taylor Greene says that despite Trump’s efforts to end the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, the violence continues.

“Enough! Everyone is sick of these wars and sick of paying for them,” Greene said in a social media post. “It’s time to put all the attention on the American people and solving our problems.”

The right-wing congresswoman, who previously described the assault on Gaza as a genocide, has emerged as one of the most vocal Republican critics of Israel.

American taxpayers spent billions and our President and his team put in a tremendous amount of effort to end the Israel/Gaza and Ukraine/Russia wars, yet the wars still continue.

Enough! Everyone is sick of these wars and sick of paying for them.

It’s time to put all the…

— Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@FmrRepMTG) October 19, 2025

Macron, MBS discuss situation in Gaza, ‘complete Israeli withdrawal’

French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) have discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip, including efforts to end the war, in a phone call.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the two leaders spoke about the need to “immediately alleviate the humanitarian suffering” of Palestinians and “achieve a complete Israeli withdrawal”.

They also discussed taking “practical steps to achieve a just peace based on the two-state solution”, a political approach the two countries have worked together to promote, including at a recent conference in New York.

Sanctions against Israel remain on the table: EU official

Foreign ministers of EU countries are meeting in Luxembourg to discuss a range of issues, including the situation in Gaza.

Before the meeting, the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, was asked about sanctions the bloc was putting forward against Israeli officials as well as trade restrictions to pressure Israel.

“The situation has changed considering the developments last week,” Kallas told reporters. “But we will discuss with the foreign ministers. These measures are on the table. The question is what the foreign ministers decide to do with them.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said all crossings into Gaza need to be opened to allow aid to enter. He also called on all parties to the ceasefire to “strictly respect the commitments made in the agreement”.

Ireland’s FM calls for immediate opening of Rafah crossing

Ireland’s foreign minister, Simon Harris, has called for the Rafah crossing to be opened for aid “as an absolute priority” and called on both Hamas and Israel to adhere to the ceasefire terms.

Speaking at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, Harris said “it is important that the ceasefire holds,” adding that “we all know how difficult it was to get to this point.

“I think we need to see an increase in the amount of aid getting into Gaza, we need to see the Rafah crossing opened as an absolute priority.”

EU official urges ‘full access for humanitarian aid’ in Gaza

Hadja Lahbib, the European commissioner for equality, preparedness and crisis management, has urged Israel to open all border crossings to allow humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians.

“We have seen in these recent days how the ceasefire is fragile. Humanitarian aid is again taken hostage,” she said at the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg. “We need to have full access for humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people.

“All the crossing points must be open,” she said, adding that while the number of aid trucks entering Gaza has increased, it remains “far from the 600 trucks that was promised”.

Israeli police cancel Tel Aviv football match after 4 injured

Israeli police have suspended a football derby between Tel Aviv’s rival football teams, Hapoel and Maccabi, after at least four people were injured in riots in and around the stadium, The Times of Israel reports.

Notably, the cancellation of the match in Tel Aviv comes as West Midlands Police in the United Kingdom have faced criticism, including from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, for banning away fans from a Europa League match between Maccabi and Aston Villa over safety concerns.

Maccabi Tel Aviv fans are known for making offensive and racist chants. In a match against Ajax in Amsterdam last year, they were filmed chanting “Death to Arabs” and “No children left in Gaza”, and engaging in vandalism throughout the city.

UK MPs support police decision to ban Israeli fans from Aston Villa game

UK MPs have expressed their support for the decision by police to ban Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from the match against Aston Villa in Birmingham after violence broke out at a derby match in Israel yesterday.

The decision has been fiercely criticised by the UK government, which has framed the issue as a question of discrimination against Israeli fans.

In a post on X, independent MP Ayoub Khan said: “To Keir Starmer and others who tried to make this about religion! Here’s more evidence. Even under the world’s spotlight, these fans chose violence, injuring police officers.”

Richard Burgon, a Labour MP, broke with his government, saying the developments vindicate the decision by the police to ban away fans from attending the game.

“This news exposes how absurd that campaign has been,” he said on X. “The people of Birmingham have a right to be kept safe.”

Israeli forces fire towards Lebanese town: Report

Al Mayadeen TV reports that Israeli forces stationed at a base in Lebanon have been firing machinegun rounds towards the town of Kfarchouba near the eastern sector of the border.

Israel has been violating the ceasefire with Lebanon daily by launching attacks across the country.