Gaza, Trump opens to some changes in peace plan. Tajani: Monday charter with last 15 Italians Flotilla

Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has ordered the dispatch of an Israeli delegation to lead the negotiations, under the leadership of Minister Ron Dermer. The delegation will leave tomorrow to take part in the talks in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. This was announced by Netanyahu's office.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States is hoping for a quick deal to bring home all the hostages in Gaza in exchange for a partial withdrawal of the IDF from the territory, as Israel and Hamas approach a new round of negotiations Speaking on Nbc's "Meet the Press", Rubio acknowledged that the next phase of negotiations on President Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza will be more difficult, addressing sensitive issues such as dismantling Hamas and establishing a new government for Gaza that excludes the Palestinian militant group. Asked if the war, which began two years ago, was over, Rubio replied: 'Well, not yet. There is still work to be done." But he recalled that Hamas had "agreed to the president's framework for the release of the hostages."

A Hamas source told the Saudi Al-Arabiya television network that the terrorist organisation has begun recovering the bodies of the deceased hostages. "We have called for a cessation of the shelling to complete the operation," he said.

Speaking to reporters, Donald Trump did not rule out some changes in the negotiations with Hamas. When asked about flexibility with the Hamas plan, he replied that "we don't need flexibility, because practically everybody agrees. But there will always be some changes." "But the Hamas plan," he added, "is incredible. You will have peace, if you think about it, peace in the Middle East for the first time. And they say, really, after 3,000 years. So I am very honoured to be an important part of it. Look, they fought for a plan for years. We get the hostages back almost immediately'.

"Negotiations are going on right now - it will probably take a couple of days," Donald Trump said, speaking to reporters.

Negotiations on the Gaza peace agreement 'are going well', Donald Trump said, speaking to reporters at the White House.

Expressing 'deep sorrow and outrage', Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) confirmed the death of Abed El Hameed Qaradaya, the organisation's physiotherapist in the Gaza Strip. Despite efforts to keep him alive, Abed died today from serious injuries caused by shrapnel explosions following the attack that had already killed Omar Hayek and injured several others on Thursday 2 October, the organisation said in a note. The attack, carried out by Israeli forces in Gaza, hit a street where Msf teams were waiting for a bus to go to work at the organisation's field hospital in Deir Al-Balah. All the staff were wearing Msf waistcoats that clearly identified them as humanitarian medical workers. Abed was 43 years old, and is the 15th Msf staff member killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023.

"Yes, Bibi agrees": this was Donald Trump's response in an interview with CNN when asked if Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu agreed to stop the bombing of Gaza and support the broader US vision for peace in the Strip

There was a tense phone call between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday evening, following Hamas' conditional yes to the US peace plan. According to Axios, the tycoon called Bibi to discuss what he considered good news but the Israeli leader thought otherwise. 'Bibi told Trump that there was nothing to celebrate and that it meant nothing,' Axios reports, according to which Trump reacted sharply: 'I don't understand why you're always so fucking negative. This is a victory. Accept it."

The exchange, also confirmed by two US leaders, shows how determined Trump is to overcome Netanyahu's reservations and convince him to end the war if Hamas will accept a deal. According to Axios, during private consultations on Friday, Netanyahu emphasised that he viewed Hamas' response as a rejection of Trump's plan. And he added that he wanted to coordinate the reaction with Washington to prevent the narrative from spreading that Hamas had responded positively, an Israeli official told the same news outlet. Trump, on the other hand, was in a completely different mood. He feared that Hamas would reject the plan outright and saw the response as an opening for a possible agreement, again according to a senior US official. When Trump called Netanyahu, the Israeli premier's lukewarm reaction was not what he expected, two US officials said. Hence the president's fiery response.

Israel must stop bombing Gaza so that Hamas can release the hostages, says US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "I think the Israelis and everybody else recognises that you can't release hostages in the middle of an attack," Rubio told the CBS talk show 'Face the Nation', "so the attacks will have to stop. There can't be a war going on in the middle of it'.

Hamas risks 'complete annihilation' if it refuses to cede power and control in the Gaza Strip. So said US President Donald Trump in an exchange of messages with CNN journalist Jake Tapper, reported on the website of the same TV channel.

Israel announced that its negotiating team will leave for Egypt in the evening and begin indirect talks tomorrow with the delegation sent by Hamas. These are ''technical'' discussions, Israeli government spokesman Shosh Badrosian told reporters. ''The negotiating team will leave tonight and the talks should start tomorrow,'' he added.

Meeting with members of the Gvura Forum, a right-wing organisation representing the families of soldiers killed in action in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that no further elements of US President Donald Trump's plan for a ceasefire in Gaza will go ahead until every single hostage is released.

"Until the first clause - the release of all hostages, dead and alive - until the last of the hostages, all of them, are transferred to Israeli territory, we will not move on to other clauses," Netanyahu promised, according to Hebrew-language media reports.

Seven Palestinians were injured by Israeli gunfire near Beit Sahour in the West Bank, east of Bethlehem. This was announced by the Palestinian Ministry of Health, reported by al-Jazeera. The ministry added that two people are in critical condition. Israeli forces also carried out numerous raids throughout the West Bank and arrested at least 13 Palestinians. The Wafa news agency reported that Israeli forces arrested seven Palestinians, including a minor, in Hebron, three people in West Salfit, a minor and an adult from northwest Ramallah, and a Palestinian from Balata refugee camp.

The Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza said that in the past 24 hours, the bodies of 65 people were transported to hospitals in the Strip, including two recently recovered. A further 153 people were injured. These figures bring the number of victims of Israeli attacks since the beginning of the war to at least 67,139, with a further 169,583 injured. Al Jazeera reports this.

Hamas has called for a speedy start to the exchange of hostages and prisoners with Israel as negotiators from the two sides in the conflict meet in Egypt for crucial talks aimed at ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza. "Hamas is very interested in reaching an agreement to end the war and immediately start the prisoner exchange process based on conditions on the ground," a senior Hamas official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said he expected the implementation of the first phase of US President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip 'in the near future and the immediate release of all hostages', attributing it to the military pressure created by the invasion of Gaza City.

Speaking at a memorial ceremony for the Israeli soldiers who fell in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Katz stressed that, almost two years after the 7 October attack, "we may soon be informed that all our hostages, both alive and fallen, have returned home, in accordance with US President Donald Trump's initiative, at the end of which Hamas will be disarmed and the Gaza Strip will be demilitarised, and the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) will remain in control areas to protect communities and act against any threats."

"They dragged little Greta (Thunberg) by the hair in front of our eyes, beat her and forced her to kiss the Israeli flag. They did unimaginable things to her, as a warning to others'. This was stated by Ersin Celik, a Turkish journalist and activist on board the Sumud Global Flotilla bound for Gaza. Confirming the mistreatment suffered by the young Swedish activist, about which rumours had already emerged on Saturday.

Arrested together with the 437 activists, parliamentarians and lawyers who were part of the flotilla - a coalition of more than 40 ships carrying humanitarian aid with the aim of breaking the maritime blockade on Gaza - he, like many other activists released after a short detention in the Jewish state, described the harassment and harsh treatment they suffered from the Israelis.

"In these last hours in the dramatic situation in the Middle East, some significant steps forward in the peace talks are being made, which I hope will soon achieve the desired results. I ask all those responsible to commit themselves to this path, to cease fire and to free the hostages, while I urge us to remain united in prayer so that the efforts underway may put an end to the war and lead us towards a just and lasting peace". Thus Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter's Square for the Angelus.

The Pope also stated: "I express my concern about the rise of anti-Semitic hatred in the world, as unfortunately seen with the terrorist attack in Manchester a few days ago. I continue to be saddened by the immense suffering endured by the Palestinian people in Gaza".

A first group of 21 Spaniards, among the 49 on board the humanitarian flotilla for Gaza intercepted by Israel, is expected to return to Spain today. This was announced by Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares. "We have reached an agreement with Israel so that, if nothing interferes with our plans, a first group of 21 Spanish citizens can leave Tel Aviv today and arrive in Spain," he said in a telephone interview on Spanish public television. "Until I see them sitting on the plane and the plane takes off, we cannot fully confirm this," he added. According to the minister, all preparations for this first trip are already in place. However, he refused to give any further information about the date of the trip or which Spanish activists will be part of this first group.

The foreign ministers of Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt issued a joint statement praising Hamas' "readiness" to meet key demands contained in US President Donald Trump's proposal to end the war in Gaza and expressing support for an eventual complete withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from Gaza and the return of the Palestinian Authority. The Times of Israel reports.

Hamas may try to persuade Israel to agree to the withdrawal of its forces according to a strict schedule, while the parties prepare for negotiations on the basis of a US proposal that includes the release of all hostages and a gradual military withdrawal from most of the Gaza Strip. This was stated by a Palestinian official.

"Progress will depend on Hamas' acceptance of the map, which shows that the Israeli army would retain control of a large part of the Gaza Strip," said the official, considered 'close' to the talks.

An Israeli raid against a group of people who were seeking humanitarian aid in the southern part of the Gaza Strip reportedly claimed four lives. Al Jazeera writes this. The Nasser Medical Complex reported that Israeli forces fired at Palestinians near a distribution centre north of Rafah.

Yemen's Houthi rebels took responsibility for this morning's ballistic missile attack on Israel, claiming they targeted 'several sensitive targets' in the Jerusalem area using a projectile with a cluster warhead. According to the Israeli army, the missile was successfully intercepted during the pre-dawn attack. There are no reports of damage or injuries. The Houthis also say they are 'monitoring developments in Gaza' as US President Donald Trump pushes for an end to the war.

It will be one of the prominent Hamas leaders, Khalil al-Hayya, who will lead the armed faction's delegation in the negotiations to end the Gaza war, which begin tomorrow in Egypt. This was reported by the Saudi channel Asharq quoted by The Times of Israel. The delegation will arrive in Cairo today, before heading to Sharm el-Sheikh for talks tomorrow. The discussions will begin with creating conditions for the hostages to be released within a few days, with the help of the Red Cross, as has been done in the past, according to the report. Al-Hayya, who has remained outside Gaza throughout the war, was recently targeted by a failed Israeli attack in Doha. He appeared in public for the first time since yesterday's attack.

Tomorrow negotiations begin in Egypt between Hamas and Israel, with US envoys Witkoff and Kushner. Pressing from Trump: 'Hamas must now hurry, I will not tolerate delays'. 'We are close to the finish line, I hope all the abductees will return home in the coming days, the IDF will remain in the Strip,' Netanyahu says.

Hamas accuses the Israeli government of lying about curtailing its military operations. "The Zionist occupation army continues to commit its horrific crimes and massacres against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip," reads the statement, according to which 70 people were killed in IDF attacks yesterday.

A group of 18 Italians out of the total 26 released by the Israeli authorities who were part of the Global Sumud Flotilla arrived around 11.30pm yesterday at Fiumicino airport on a Turkish Airlines flight. Choruses and hugs from hundreds of people welcomed them. Another group is arriving in Milan. Another 15 Italians, who did not sign the voluntary release form, will have to wait for deportation by the courts, which will take place next week. "We were treated very badly," they said, "There was harassment. They treated us like they treat terrorists'. "We must continue to fight," they stressed, "and at this moment it is very important to continue to do so for our comrades who are still there; we must bring them home absolutely, it is the priority.

Khalil al-Hayya, chief Hamas negotiator among the main targets of the Israeli raid on Doha last September, reappeared on TV in a video broadcast by the Qatari channel Al-Araby. The news was picked up by the Israeli media.

Gaza City has almost completely emptied of Palestinians. According to estimates released by the IDF, about 900,000 of the approximately one million Palestinians who resided in Gaza City before the major IDF offensive have been evacuated to the southern part of the Strip. This was reported by The Times of Israel.

Last month, civilians were ordered to evacuate all areas of Gaza City and head to an Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in southern Gaza.