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‘Strong Chance’ of Hostage Deal, Israeli, US Officials Say
Thousands of Jews gather for a mass prayer for the hostages in Gaza at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem, Jan. 10, 2024. Photo: Yaacov Cohen
The United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Israel are nearing an agreement on a deal that could temporarily halt hostilities in Gaza and secure the return of the hostages, US and Israeli officials said on Sunday.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told CNN in an interview that representatives from the four countries met in Paris and “came to an understanding about what the basic contours for a hostage deal and for a temporary ceasefire would look like.”
Israeli lawmaker on Sunday Aryeh Deri told the Kikar HaShabbat news site that there was a “strong chance” that a hostage deal would happen but that it would take time. According to Deri, Hamas had not yet responded to the terms of the deal.
Meanwhile, the state-affiliated Egyptian Al Qahera News network on Sunday reported that talks were continuing in Doha and “would be followed by meetings in Cairo.”
Sullivan expressed his hope that “in the coming days” there would be a final agreement on the table.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu stopped short of confirming that a deal was on the offing and said that that for the discussions to progress, Hamas must adopt a more “reasonable” stance.
In a separate statement to CBS News, Netanyahu discussed Israel’s strategic military considerations, including plans for civilian evacuation in Gaza and military actions against Hamas forces, indicating that these plans would proceed regardless of the negotiation outcomes.
“If we have a deal, it will be delayed somewhat, but it will happen. If we don’t have a deal, we’ll do it anyway,” he told CBS “Face the Nation.”
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri responded by saying that Netanyahu’s comments proved the Israeli leader “is not concerned about reaching an agreement.”
Netanyahu wants “to pursue negotiation under bombardment and the bloodshed” of Palestinians in Gaza, Abu Zuhri told Reuters.
Separately on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces announced the death of soldier Sgt. Oz Daniel, 19, who was killed on October 7 along with the rest of his tank crew and his body taken to Gaza. His body is still being held by Hamas.
It marked the fourth IDF death announced over the weekend. Staff-Sgt. Narya Belete, 21, a soldier in the elite Givati reconnaissance unit, Staff-Sgt. Eli Zrihen, 20, from the same unit, and Major Eyal Shuminov, a 24-year-old company commander in the Shaked Battalion of the Givati Brigade, were all killed in Gaza on Saturday, the IDF said.
A statement by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum noted that Daniel was a skilled guitar player who loved the rock band Guns N’ Roses who “loved life, loved people, had a great sense of humor and a contagious smile.”
He left behind his parents and a twin brother, Hadar.
Of the 253 people abducted to Gaza, the IDF has confirmed the deaths of 31, among them Daniel.
The post ‘Strong Chance’ of Hostage Deal, Israeli, US Officials Say first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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After False Dawns, Gazans Hope Trump Will Force End to Two-Year-Old War
Palestinians walk past a residential building destroyed in previous Israeli strikes, after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept some other terms in a US plan to end the war, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Exhausted Palestinians in Gaza clung to hopes on Saturday that US President Donald Trump would keep up pressure on Israel to end a two-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced the entire population of more than two million.
Hamas’ declaration that it was ready to hand over hostages and accept some terms of Trump’s plan to end the conflict while calling for more talks on several key issues was greeted with relief in the enclave, where most homes are now in ruins.
“It’s happy news, it saves those who are still alive,” said 32-year-old Saoud Qarneyta, reacting to Hamas’ response and Trump’s intervention. “This is enough. Houses have been damaged, everything has been damaged, what is left? Nothing.”
GAZAN RESIDENT HOPES ‘WE WILL BE DONE WITH WARS’
Ismail Zayda, 40, a father of three, displaced from a suburb in northern Gaza City where Israel launched a full-scale ground operation last month, said: “We want President Trump to keep pushing for an end to the war, if this chance is lost, it means that Gaza City will be destroyed by Israel and we might not survive.
“Enough, two years of bombardment, death and starvation. Enough,” he told Reuters on a social media chat.
“God willing this will be the last war. We will hopefully be done with the wars,” said 59-year-old Ali Ahmad, speaking in one of the tented camps where most Palestinians now live.
“We urge all sides not to backtrack. Every day of delay costs lives in Gaza, it is not just time wasted, lives get wasted too,” said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman displaced with members of his family in central Gaza Strip.
After two previous ceasefires — one near the start of the war and another earlier this year — lasted only a few weeks, he said; “I am very optimistic this time, maybe Trump’s seeking to be remembered as a man of peace, will bring us real peace this time.”
RESIDENT WORRIES THAT NETANYAHU WILL ‘SABOTAGE’ DEAL
Some voiced hopes of returning to their homes, but the Israeli military issued a fresh warning to Gazans on Saturday to stay out of Gaza City, describing it as a “dangerous combat zone.”
Gazans have faced previous false dawns during the past two years, when Trump and others declared at several points during on-off negotiations between Hamas, Israel and Arab and US mediators that a deal was close, only for war to rage on.
“Will it happen? Can we trust Trump? Maybe we trust Trump, but will Netanyahu abide this time? He has always sabotaged everything and continued the war. I hope he ends it now,” said Aya, 31, who was displaced with her family to Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
She added: “Maybe there is a chance the war ends at October 7, two years after it began.”
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Mass Rally in Rome on Fourth Day of Italy’s Pro-Palestinian Protests
A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a national protest for Gaza in Rome, Italy, October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Large crowds assembled in central Rome on Saturday for the fourth straight day of protests in Italy since Israel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza, and detained its activists.
People holding banners and Palestinian flags, chanting “Free Palestine” and other slogans, filed past the Colosseum, taking part in a march that organizers hoped would attract at least 1 million people.
“I’m here with a lot of other friends because I think it is important for us all to mobilize individually,” Francesco Galtieri, a 65-year-old musician from Rome, said. “If we don’t all mobilize, then nothing will change.”
Since Israel started blocking the flotilla late on Wednesday, protests have sprung up across Europe and in other parts of the world, but in Italy they have been a daily occurrence, in multiple cities.
On Friday, unions called a general strike in support of the flotilla, with demonstrations across the country that attracted more than 2 million, according to organizers. The interior ministry estimated attendance at around 400,000.
Italy’s right-wing government has been critical of the protests, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggesting that people would skip work for Gaza just as an excuse for a longer weekend break.
On Saturday, Meloni blamed protesters for insulting graffiti that appeared on a statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside Rome’s main train station, where Pro-Palestinian groups have been holding a protest picket.
“They say they are taking to the streets for peace, but then they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace. A shameful act committed by people blinded by ideology,” she said in a statement.
Israel launched its Gaza offensive after Hamas terrorists staged a cross border attack on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage.
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Hamas Says It Agrees to Release All Israeli Hostages Under Trump Gaza Plan
Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Hamas said on Friday it had agreed to release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, under the terms of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal, and signaled readiness to immediately enter mediated negotiations to discuss the details.