Gaza

Donald Trump says a Middle East peace deal is “very close,” pledging US security guarantees for Gaza two years after the war began. American envoys are heading to Egypt for what officials describe as the most promising talks yet to end the devastating conflict.

A United States citizen who was detained by Israel on the Global Sumud Flotilla, which tried to deliver aid to Gaza, says he and other activists endured abuse and “psychological torture” in Israeli custody.

David Adler, who was released and deported to Jordan on Tuesday, said after Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla in international waters, they took the activists to a prison complex in the Negev desert in southern Israel.

“We were kidnapped, stripped, zip-tied, blindfolded and sent to an internment camp on a police van without any access to food, to water, to legal support,” he said. “And for the next five days, on and off, we were psychologically tortured.”

In an audio message shared with Al Jazeera through the advocacy group Progressive International, Adler said he and another Jewish activist were picked out and forced to be photographed with Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

“After interception, we were violently forced onto our knees into positions of submission, where the two Jews of the flotilla were taken by the ear and ripped from the group for a photo-op with Ben-Gvir, staring at the flag of the State of Israel, taunted by his goons,” Adler said.

He described his time in detention as a “five-day nightmare of serial and systematic violations of our most basic rights”.

‘My Jewish heritage demands it’

Adler, who is co-general coordinator at Progressive International, added that riot troops would raid the prison with attack dogs at night to “terrify and terrorise” the detainees.

His testimony adds to the allegations of mistreatment of flotilla activists, who included climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.

The flotilla – a collection of more than 40 boats and 470 people from across the world – aimed to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza, which has sparked a deadly hunger crisis in the territory.

Israel intercepted the flotilla in international waters last week, a move that human rights advocates have argued is illegal.

Adler was one of more than 20 US citizens in the group and among the last to be released.

Earlier this week, about two dozen lawmakers from the activist’s home state of California penned a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling on him to push for Adler to be freed.

As he was sailing towards Gaza last week, Adler shared a social media post reflecting on his Jewish identity and the decision to participate in the flotilla.

“If there’s any part of the Torah that I still remember, it is this obligation it bestows upon us: ‘Justice, justice you shall pursue.’ How could we stand by while the State of Israel perverts this holy obligation, overseeing a holocaust of the Palestinian people?” Adler wrote.

“I joined this flotilla just like any other delegate – to defend humanity before it is too late. But on Yom Kippur, I am reminded that I am also here because my Jewish heritage demands it.”

Trump envoy taunts Adler

According to Adler, US officials did not provide any consular services to him and other Americans who were imprisoned by Israel.

“The US general consul said, ‘We are not your babysitters. You’d have no food, no water, no money, no phones, no planes,’” he said. “‘We’re taking you straight to the airport, and you’re on your own.’”

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee had rebuked Adler personally, calling him a “self-absorbed tool of Hamas”.

Huckabee also echoed the false Israeli claims that the flotilla is “Hamas-funded”.

Palestinian rights advocates and many Palestinians in Gaza welcomed the flotilla, saying it demonstrates the power of individuals to take direct action to help the people in Gaza even if they fail to reach the shores of the territory.

In his message, Adler called the mistreatment of the activists a marker of “how rogue the state of Israel has become in its utter disregard for basic international humanitarian law”.

“I’m obviously very aware that all of this pales in comparison to the treatment that Palestinians endure every single day,” he said.

Israel holds thousands of Palestinian detainees, many without  charge or trial.

Rights groups and United Nations experts have documented horrific and systemic torture of Palestinians in Israeli prisons, including the use of starvation and sexual violence against captives.

Israel continues to imprison US teenager Mohammed Ibrahim, who was arrested in the occupied West Bank in February and has since lost more than a quarter of his body weight, according to his family.

The Israeli government’s Press Office and US Department of State did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment by the time of publication.

Meet Farah and Myriam — two young girls from Gaza.

For Farah, night means fear — a reminder of loved ones killed in the darkness.

For Myriam, her home was destroyed, taking her mother and sister. Her aunt’s body remains buried under the rubble.
She lives in a tent beside the ruins and this is where the two girls meet to share their grief, fears and hopes for the future after two years of war.

Farah and Myriam is directed by Wissam Moussa. It’s part of From Ground Zero, a collection of 22 short films made in Gaza, initiated by Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi, to tell the untold stories of the current war.

From Ground Zero was the official submission of Palestine, in the Best International Feature Film category of the 97th Academy Awards in 2025.

Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim al-Khalili reflects on the two years since Israel’s war on Gaza began, sharing a personal story of displacement, loss, and suffering.

Many children, their eyes wide with shock, cling to the arms of rescuers after explosions tear through their neighbourhoods.

Some images are too horrific to show, with small bodies crushed beneath rubble, homes erased in an instant, and the innocence of youth replaced by trauma.

These faces, once vibrant and full of life, grow thinner and paler, fading under the weight of hunger and loss.

One such image, taken on May 21, 2024, by Ashraf Amra, shows a child with a broken arm wrapped in plaster, lying on a hospital floor stained with blood. He stares fixedly up at the camera, the blood on the floor seeping closer to his uninjured shoulder.

He was one of the injured Palestinians brought to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital following Israeli attacks on the Bureij refugee camp in Deir el-Balah.

Also among them are Gaza’s women – mothers, teachers, doctors, journalists, and caregivers, carrying heavy loads, both physical and emotional. Some are guided by faith, in mosques or churches.

The older generation bears the eyes of displacement, having lived through such events before.

One of the most powerful images shows Palestinian woman Inas Abu Maamar, 36, embracing the body of her 5-year-old niece Sally, who was killed in an Israeli strike, at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on October 17, 2023.

Photographer Mohammad Salem was at the hospital morgue that day.

“It was a powerful and sad moment, and I felt the picture sums up the broader sense of what was happening in the Gaza Strip,” he said.

“People were confused, running … anxious to know the fate of their loved ones, and this woman caught my eye as she was holding the body of the little girl and refused to let go.”

The image went on to win the 2024 World Press Photo of the Year award, recognised for capturing the profound grief and chaos experienced by those living through the attacks in Gaza.

Many of the men pictured are carrying shrouded bodies, the weight of loss heavy.

Rescue workers and young men, often civilians turned first responders, move through the rubble with grim determination.

Each shrouded body tells a story of tragedy and sudden loss, and each man’s face reflects exhaustion, grief, and the urgent need to help in the midst of chaos.

One image taken by Omar Al-Qattaa shows a man carrying the shrouded body of a child killed in overnight Israeli bombardment at the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City on October 2, 2024.

Explore an interactive mosaic of nearly 2,000 photos spanning two years in Gaza. Hover over or click on each icon to view the full image.

Before the October 7 attacks, Benjamin Netanyahu was facing down mass protests, a corruption trial and speculation he would end up resigning or in jail. He is still in power. So, after two years of war, how do Israeli’s now view him? Soraya Lennie explains.

As mediators and officials from Israel and Hamas meet in Egypt to discuss end of war, deadly Israeli attacks continue across Gaza.

Sources familiar with the mediated talks between Israel and Hamas say that progress was made on Monday, with negotiations to continue.

The first day of resumed indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in Egypt ended on a positive note, amid hopes of a potential deal to implement US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end the war on Gaza, multiple sources told Al Jazeera and other media outlets.

Negotiators are set to return for more discussions on Tuesday.

Sources told Al Jazeera Arabic that the meeting in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday was “positive” and that a roadmap was drawn up for how the current round of talks would continue.

The Hamas delegation told mediators that Israel’s continued bombing of Gaza poses a challenge to negotiations on the release of captives, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.

The Hamas delegation included Hamas leaders Khalil al-Hayya and Zaher Jabarin, two negotiators who survived an Israeli assassination attempt in central Doha that killed five people last month.

Talks on day one covered the proposed exchange of prisoners and captives, a ceasefire, and humanitarian aid entering Gaza, according to Egypt’s state-linked Al-Qahera News.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also said Trump was pushing for an early exchange of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners, in a bid to build “momentum” to implement other parts of his plan to end the Gaza war.

“The technical teams are discussing that as we speak, to ensure that the environment is perfect to release those hostages,” Leavitt said, adding that teams were “going over the list of both the Israeli hostages and also the political prisoners who will be released.”

Trump, speaking to reporters from the Oval Office on Monday afternoon, said that “we have a really good chance of making a deal”, while also noting that he still has his own “red lines”.

“But I think we’re doing very well. And I think Hamas has been agreeing to things that are very important”, Trump added.

Al Jazeera’s Rosiland Jordan reporting from Washington, DC, said that Trump had not “not given any details of how he thinks the discussions are going beyond his general positive assessment.”

“The US President also was very complimentary of the joint Arab-Turkish support to keep Hamas at the bargaining table, he was complimentary of the Israeli people and of course, he was complimentary about his own special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who was leading the US delegation in these negotiations,” said Jordan.

Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, a real estate developer, is also reportedly part of the US delegation.

Egypt’s Al-Qahera News, meanwhile, confirmed that the talks were expected to continue on Tuesday, which marks two years since the Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,139 people and saw about 200 people taken captive.

Since then, Israeli forces have killed at least 67,160 Palestinians and wounded 169,679 in Gaza, in a war that has been described as genocidal by a United Nations inquiry, leading genocide scholars and leading human rights groups — including Israeli non-profits.

And even as the talks were held on Monday, Israeli forces killed at least 10 Palestinians in attacks across Gaza, including three who were seeking humanitarian aid, according to Al Jazeera sources.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres shared a social media post late on Monday, New York time, acknowledging the two year anniversary of Hamas’s “abhorrent large-scale terror attack on Israel”, on October 7, 2023.

Guterres also said that the “recent proposal” put forward by Trump “presents an opportunity that must be seized to bring this tragic conflict to an end.”

“A permanent ceasefire and a credible political process are essential to prevent further bloodshed and pave the way for peace,” the UN chief wrote.

Israel-Premier Tech cycling team will drop Israeli ties after multiple protests at the Vuelta a Espana race.

The Israel–Premier Tech cycling team will drop its ties to Israel from the 2026 season, following repeated pro-Palestinian protests against it at the recent Vuelta a Espana bike race.

The move was announced in a statement on Monday, just weeks after pressure from its sponsors to change its name.

The team, which is based in Israel and which is owned by the Israeli-Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams, has been subjected to widespread criticism over Israel’s war on Gaza, in which more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel, and leading experts have called a genocide.

Adams has previously said that Israel has done “miracles” in its fighting in Gaza and elsewhere, despite the devastation of the Palestinian enclave, where famine has spread.

Last month, protesters disrupted several stages of Spain’s Vuelta because of its participation in the prestigious three-week cycling event.

Amid the public pressure, the team removed its full name from its jerseys midway though the race. Later on, the final stage of the Vuelta had to be abandoned when pro-Palestinian demonstrators entered part of the course in Madrid.

Following the protests against it in Spain, Israel-Premier Tech was then excluded from the Giro dell’Emilia race on Saturday because of concerns about public safety.

Explaining its decision to rebrand, the team said on Monday that it was moving away from its Israeli identity out of a “steadfast commitment to our riders, staff and valued partners”.

“In sport, progress often requires sacrifice, and this step is essential to securing the future of the team,” it added.

The statement also confirmed that Adams, its owner, would no longer speak on behalf of the team. Instead, he will focus on his position as President of the World Jewish Congress, Israel, it said.

Premier Tech, the Canada-based multinational company that co-sponsors the team, had voiced its desire for change last month.

“We are sensitive and attentive to the situation on the international scene which has evolved considerably since our arrival on the World Tour in 2017,” it said.

“Our expectation is that the team will evolve to a new name excluding the term Israel, and that it will adopt a new identity and a new brand image.”

Factor, the company that provides the team with equipment, also warned that its involvement would end unless there was “a change of flag”.

Israel has grown increasingly isolated internationally as the war on Gaza continues, with an effort on the part of many countries to exclude Israel from sporting and cultural events, in a similar manner to Russia’s exclusion following its war on Ukraine.

Delegations from Hamas, Israel and the United States are due to convene in Egypt for talks on US President Donald Trump’s proposal to end the war in Gaza.

Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas over the 20-point plan are due to begin in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday.

The talks, which come on the eve of the second anniversary of the Hamas attacks on Israel that led to the war, have raised hopes that the devastating conflict, which has killed tens of thousands in Gaza, could soon end. But at the same time, there are plenty of potential obstacles to sealing a deal.

Trump has insisted that both sides are on board with his peace framework and has called for the negotiations to “move fast” in reaching an agreement.

Despite the failure of several initiatives to try to end the conflict, including two brief ceasefires that collapsed, the bombardment of Gaza, which has now killed at least 67,160 people, wounded 169,679, and pushed the enclave’s two million or so people towards starvation, Trump said “the first phase should be completed this week”.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said there had been “very positive discussions with Hamas” and other governments over the weekend “to release the Hostages, end the War in Gaza but, more importantly, finally have long sought peace in the Middle East”.

“These talks have been very successful, and proceeding rapidly,” he said. “I am asking everyone to move fast … time is of the essence, or massive bloodshed will follow.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also appeared to buoy expectations when he said the release of the 48 Israeli captives held by Hamas – 20 of whom are believed to be alive – could be announced this week.

Under the plan, Hamas would release the captives in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Hamas has also agreed to give up power in Gaza, while Israel has agreed to withdraw its forces from the enclave.

Lacking details

However, numerous issues remain under the proposal, which lacks details.

There is no timescale given for the disarmament of Hamas, while a vague reference to the establishment of a Palestinian state has put many on both sides of the deal on edge.

Meanwhile, with the talks set to commence, Israeli forces have continued their assault in Gaza.

Seven people were killed on Monday morning, including three who were seeking humanitarian aid, according to Al Jazeera sources.

Nour Odeh, reporting for Al Jazeera from the Jordanian capital, Amman, said that, for all Trump’s comments talking up the prospects of the plan, significant obstacles remained.

“There are a lot of details that could potentially derail” the negotiations, she said.

Potential sticking points include Israel’s insistence that it wants all captives released at the same time within 72 hours.

It also wants to retain freedom to pursue Hamas, despite the withdrawal agreement, and insists that its withdrawal lines and timelines have already been set.

“All of these things need to undergo delicate talks,” she said.

Perhaps reflecting such doubts, the Israeli media reported on Monday that the negotiation process would now begin with Hamas representatives speaking with mediators, with Israeli and US representatives not participating until Wednesday.

Trump has demanded that Israel stop bombing Gaza so that the talks can play out, but strikes have continued across the territory.

Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian told reporters on Sunday that the military would continue to act for “defensive purposes” and that there was no ceasefire in place.

Speaking on ABC’s This Week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described two phases that would occur once Hamas accepted Trump’s framework.

First, the Israeli captives would be released by Hamas, and then Israel would pull back in Gaza to the “yellow line”, where its military was positioned in August.

Rubio said Hamas should release captives as soon as they were ready, and that Israel’s bombardment needed to end so they could be released.

Hamas’s future a sticking point

The question of Hamas’s future also looms as a major potential obstacle.

Trump’s plan calls for Gaza’s demilitarisation and rules out any future governing role for Hamas, though it allows its members to remain if they renounce violence and disarm.

Hamas has responded positively to the plan, saying it was ready to negotiate the captives’ release, and form part of a “Palestinian national framework” that would shape Gaza’s future.

However, the prospect of Hamas remaining in any form has enraged Netanyahu’s far-right coalition allies. They have threatened to topple the government over the issue.

“Alongside the important goal in and of itself of releasing the hostages, the central goal of the war, which stems from the October 7 massacre carried out by Hamas monsters, is that the terrorist organisation Hamas cannot be allowed to remain in existence,” National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said in a social media post.

He said he and his party, Otzma Yehudit, had told Netanyahu that they would quit the government if Hamas continued to exist after the captives’ release.

“We will not be part of a national defeat that will bring eternal shame to the world, and that will become a ticking time bomb for the next massacre,” he said.

However, Yair Lapid, leader of the opposition, on Sunday offered to lend Netanyahu’s government support to prevent a collapse at the hands of his “extremist and irresponsible partners” while the plan is negotiated.

US President Donald Trump said he believes negotiations involving Israel and Hamas will go “very quickly” as mediators arrive in Egypt to discuss the details of his 20-point plan to end the Gaza war.

Oct. 5 (UPI) — Israel continued its airstrikes on Gaza on Sunday, even as negotiators headed to Egypt for talks on a U.S.-proposed peace plan that calls for Hamas to release all hostages and seeks new governance for the Palestinian territory.

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said Sunday that 63 Palestinians were killed and another 153 wounded in bombings carried out by Israeli forces in the last 24 hours, reported Haaretz. The strikes come despite Israeli officials agreeing to ease their offensive on Gaza City and President Donald Trump calling for the bombings to halt as his peace plan to end the two-year conflict is put to the test.

Israeli officials believe there are still 20 living hostages being kept in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas militants that triggered Israel’s military campaign in the Palestinian enclave, which has drawn growing international condemnation.

Negotiations will begin Monday in Sharm el-Sheikh, focusing on the first phase of the plan that calls for Hamas to release the remaining hostages and for Israel to withdraw its troops in Gaza to a line agreed upon with Hamas.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told ABC News Sunday that “this is the closest we’ve come to getting all of the hostages released.”

“But there’s a lot of pitfalls along the way,” he added.

The initial talks will be “technical” and will focus on working out specific details of the negotiation’s first phase, Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said in a video posted to X.

But she added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the talks will last for just a few days and he will not tolerate Hamas attempting to delay the release of all hostages past the 72-hour deadline.

“The prime minister is in regular contact with President Trump, who stressed Hamas must move quickly ‘or else all bets will be off,'” she said.

The Palestinian militant group signaled Friday that it was ready to release all Israeli hostages living and dead, but said it needed more than 72 hours to arrange their release.

Hamas is eager to end the conflict and begin a prisoner exchange with Israel, a senior Hamas official told the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat. The official added that Israel’s occupation of Gaza must not obstruct the implementation of the peace plan.

President Donald Trump said in a social media post Sunday that there had been positive discussions with Hamas and other countries on ending the war.

“I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST,” he said.

Hundreds of thousands across Europe and the Middle East marched against Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Hundreds of thousands of people have poured onto the streets across Europe, demanding an end to Israel’s two-year war on Gaza that has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians and left the enclave on the brink of famine.

The largest protest took place in the Netherlands, where around 250,000 people filled Amsterdam’s Museum Square on Sunday before marching through the city centre. Draped in Palestinian flags and dressed in red, demonstrators demanded that their government take a harder line against Israel and stop arms exports to the occupying power.

“The bloodshed must stop – and that we unfortunately have to stand here because we have such an incredibly weak government that doesn’t dare to draw a red line. That’s why we are here, in the hope that it helps,” said protester Marieke van Zijl, the Associated Press reported.

The protest came less than a month before national elections, adding pressure on Dutch leaders who have long backed Israel. Foreign Minister David van Weel said on Friday that it was “unlikely” the government would approve the export of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel amid mounting public anger.

Amnesty International, one of the protest organisers, urged European governments to act decisively. “All economic and diplomatic means must be used to increase pressure on Israel,” said spokesperson Marjon Rozema.

‘Gaza is the biggest graveyard of children’

While the Netherlands saw the biggest turnout in Western Europe, Turkiye hosted one of the most striking shows of solidarity.

In Istanbul, vast crowds marched from the Hagia Sophia mosque to the banks of the Golden Horn, where boats decorated with Turkish and Palestinian flags awaited them.

Demonstrators, many fresh from midday prayers at the mosque, called for Muslim unity in confronting Israel’s assault.

In Ankara, protesters waved flags and held banners denouncing Israel’s actions. “This oppression, which began in 1948, has been continuing for two years, turning into genocide,” said Recep Karabal of the Palestine Support Platform in the northern city of Kirikkale.

Support for Palestine runs deep in Turkiye, where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has emerged as one of Israel’s fiercest critics, accusing Tel Aviv of committing war crimes in Gaza.

On Saturday, Turkish journalist and Gaza Sumud Flotilla participant Ersin Celik told local media outlets he witnessed Israeli forces “torture Greta Thunberg”, describing how the Swedish activist was “dragged on the ground” and “forced to kiss the Israeli flag”.

Similar rallies were held across the region. In Sofia, Bulgarians carried placards reading “Gaza: Starvation is a Weapon of War” and “Gaza is the Biggest Graveyard of Children”. Protester Valya Chalamova said, “Our society – and the world – needs to hear that we stand with the Palestinian people.”

In Morocco’s capital Rabat, crowds burned an Israeli flag and called on their government to reverse its 2020 decision to normalise ties with Israel. Protesters also demanded the release of Moroccan human rights defender Aziz Ghali, detained by Israel after joining the flotilla aiming to break the blockade on Gaza.

Across Spain, smaller rallies followed massive demonstrations in Madrid, Rome, and Barcelona a day earlier, with marchers carrying white bundles symbolising the bodies of Gaza’s children.

Hamas said it had accepted parts of a ceasefire plan proposed by US President Donald Trump, though much of Gaza remains in ruins and under siege.

Israel and Hamas are preparing for indirect negotiations in Egypt, amid hopes for a possible agreement on ending the Gaza war based on Donald Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan.

Palestinian group Hamas said on Sunday that its delegation, headed by Khalil al-Hayya, had arrived in Sharm el-Sheikh and would begin the negotiations on Monday “on the mechanisms for a ceasefire, the withdrawal of [Israeli] occupation forces and a prisoner exchange”.

The Israeli delegation, led by top negotiator Ron Dermer, will leave on Monday for the talks, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Hopes for a possible ceasefire in Gaza grew after Netanyahu said on Friday that he was hopeful a deal to release all the remaining captives could be announced this week.

United States President Trump said the talks were advancing quickly. “These talks have been very successful, and proceeding rapidly. The technical teams will again meet Monday, in Egypt, to work through and clarify the final details,” he said in a social media post on Sunday. “I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST.”

Despite a call from Trump for Israel to pause its Gaza offensive, the Israeli army has continued its bombing campaign. At least 24 Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops on Sunday, sources told Al Jazeera Arabic. Among the victims were four asylum seekers who were shot near an aid distribution centre north of Rafah, the Nasser Medical Complex said.

Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from the town of az-Zuwayda in central Gaza, said attacks were continuing both in the areas where people have been displaced to and in Gaza City, where the majority of Israeli military assaults and the ground offensive have taken place in recent weeks.

“The Palestinians were hoping for a good night’s sleep, but that didn’t happen,” Mahmoud said.

Gaza’s Government Media Office said more than 2,700 families, comprising more than 8,500 people, have been wiped off the civil registry in two years of conflict. At least 1,015 children under one year old have been killed, along with 1,670 medical staff, 254 journalists, and 140 civil defence rescue workers.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that the war in Gaza had not yet ended despite the situation being “the closest we’ve come to getting all of the hostages released”.

Rubio urged Israel to stop bombing Gaza ahead of the discussions in Egypt. “You can’t release hostages in the middle of strikes, so the strikes will have to stop,” he told US broadcaster CBS. “There can’t be a war going on in the middle of it.”

According to Trump’s plan, Hamas would release the remaining captives and Israel would pull back troops in Gaza to the “yellow line”, where it was in August.

Despite the terms of the deal clearly stipulating Israel’s withdrawal, Israeli media quoted Defence Minister Israel Katz, saying that Israel would remain in control of the Strip. “Hamas will be disarmed, the Gaza Strip will be demilitarised, and the [Israeli army] will remain in controlling areas to protect the communities,” he said.

Arab backing for Hamas in negotiations

The foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates issued a joint statement on Sunday, in which they welcomed the steps taken by Hamas on Trump’s Gaza plan, including the release of all Israeli captives and the immediate launch of negotiations on implementation mechanisms.

“The Foreign Ministers also welcomed President Trump’s call on Israel to immediately stop the bombing and to begin implementation of the exchange agreement, and they expressed appreciation for his commitment to establishing peace in the region,” the joint statement said.

They also welcomed Hamas for stating “its readiness to hand over the administration of Gaza to a transitional Palestinian Administrative Committee of independent technocrats”.

Izzat al-Risheq, a senior member of Hamas’s political bureau, said the statement marked an “important support” for efforts to end the war. He also welcomed the “clear backing for the Palestinian position in the negotiations, [which] strengthens the chances of reaching a lasting ceasefire agreement”.

“We look forward to further Arab and Islamic support in order to stop the aggression and genocide being inflicted on our people in the Gaza Strip, leading to an end of the occupation and the realisation of our Palestinian people’s aspirations to establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital,” al-Risheq said.

Trump has dispatched two envoys to Egypt, according to the White House, sending his son-in-law Jared Kushner and his main Middle East negotiator, Steve Witkoff.

The US president has told Hamas that once it agrees to Israel’s initial military withdrawal line in Gaza, an immediate ceasefire would be triggered.

The talks are being held after Hamas agreed to release the Israeli captives and accept some other terms in Trump’s Gaza plan, but questions surround vexing issues, such as Israel’s withdrawal from the Strip and Hamas’s disarmament.

Asked by reporters whether there was any flexibility on his 20-point Gaza plan, Trump suggested on Sunday that some changes would still be possible. “We don’t need flexibility because everybody has pretty much agreed to it. But there’ll always be some changes,” he said.

Hamas and Israel appear to have agreed to most of the conditions of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan, which means there may be an end in sight to Israel’s devastating war on Gaza.

But there is a lot that is not yet agreed upon, including how the withdrawal of Israeli troops will take place; the presence of an Israeli security buffer zone inside Gaza; and what the interim governing authority will look like.

The ultimate question has also not been asked: When will Israel end its illegal occupation of all Palestinian territory?

Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom

Guests:

Andrew Gilmour – Former United Nations assistant secretary-general for human rights

Victor Kattan – Assistant professor in Public International Law at the University of Nottingham and author of the book The Palestine Question in International Law

Simon Mabon – Professor of Middle East and International Politics at Lancaster University and author of The Struggle for Supremacy in the Middle East

International activists deported from Israel after joining an intercepted Gaza aid flotilla have given further accounts of mistreatment by guards during their detention.

The latest claims made by participants in the Global Sumud Flotilla added to the growing scrutiny of Israel on Sunday for its treatment of the activists.

Some 450 participants in the flotilla were arrested between Wednesday and Friday as Israeli forces intercepted the boats, which were seeking to break a naval blockade of Gaza and deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Palestinians in the besieged territory.

Speaking at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport on his return on Sunday, Italian activist Cesare Tofani said, “We were treated terribly … From the army, we moved on to the police. There was harassment,” ANSA news agency reported.

Yassine Lafram, the president of the Union of Islamic Communities in Italy, who landed at Milan Malpensa Airport with the activists, told the Corriere della Sera newspaper: “They even treated us violently, pointing weapons at us, and this is absolutely unacceptable for us in a country that considers itself democratic.”

Italian journalist Saverio Tommasi, who landed at Fiumicino Airport late on Saturday, said Israeli soldiers had withheld medicines and treated the detained activists “like monkeys”, The Associated Press reported.

He said the Israeli guards mocked the detained activists – who included Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela, and several European lawmakers – in order to “demean, ridicule and laugh in situations where there is nothing to laugh about”.

Activists targeted with laser sights

Italian journalist Lorenzo D’Agostino said that his belongings and money had been “stolen by the Israelis”.

Speaking to AP on his arrival at Turkiye’s Istanbul Airport after being deported from Israel on Saturday, he said he had been repeatedly woken up by guards during the two nights he spent in detention.

He said the detained activists were also intimidated with dogs and by soldiers pointing the laser sights of their guns at prisoners “to scare us”.

Another activist, Paolo De Montis, reported experiencing “constant stress and humiliation” at the hands of the guards, who kept him in a prison van for hours with his hands secured by zip ties.

“You weren’t allowed to look them in the face, always had to keep your head down and when I did look up, a man … came and shook me and slapped me on the back of the head,” he told AP. “They forced us to stay on our knees for four hours.”

Deported activists from the flotilla had earlier spoken out about the mistreatment of Thunberg, one of the highest profile members of the mission, in particular, saying she had been “dragged on the ground”, “forced to kiss the Israeli flag”, and “used as propaganda”.

‘Brazen lies’

Israel’s Foreign Ministry and its far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir gave conflicting responses to the activists’ allegations, with the ministry insisting the stories of ill-treatment were “brazen lies”, while Ben-Gvir said he was “proud” of the detainees’ harsh treatment in Ketziot prison.

“I was proud that we treat the ‘flotilla activists’ as supporters of terrorism. Anyone who supports terrorism is a terrorist and deserves the conditions of terrorists,” he said in a statement.

“If any of them thought they would come here and receive a red carpet and trumpets – they were mistaken,” said Ben-Gvir, who was filmed taunting the activists as they were brought ashore.

“They should get a good feel for the conditions in Ketziot prison and think twice before they approach Israel again.”

By contrast, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said that claims of mistreatment of Thunberg and other flotilla activists were “lies”.

“All the detainees’ legal rights are fully upheld,” the ministry said in a post on X on Sunday.

“Interestingly enough, Greta herself and other detainees refused to expedite their deportation and insisted on prolonging their stay in custody. Greta also did not complain to the Israeli authorities about any of these ludicrous and baseless allegations – because they never occurred.”

Israel’s arrests and treatment of the activists led to criticism from countries including Pakistan, Turkiye and Colombia, and street protests around the world, as well as a written protest from Greece.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the country deported a further 29 flotilla activists on Sunday, but many remain in detention in Israel.

Spain’s Foreign Affairs Minister Jose Manuel Albares told public broadcaster RTVE that 21 of the 49 Spanish detained flotilla activists were expected to return home on Sunday; while Greece’s Foreign Ministry said 27 Geek citizens were to return from Israel on Monday.

The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) was created in December 1949, almost two years after the UN voted for the partition of Palestine. It was, and still is, the only UN agency dedicated solely to one dispossessed population — the Palestinians.

In the decades following its creation, UNRWA was engaged in almost all aspects of Palestinian life — from food distribution to healthcare and education to utilities provision. Amid the genocide in Gaza, the agency was sidelined, and its operations were restricted under Israeli pressure.

Now, as a ceasefire is on the horizon, we need UNRWA to fully restore its work and help bring an end to the famine. It is the only organisation that has the capacity to distribute aid fairly and efficiently.

UNRWA has always been part of my family’s life. My parents, my siblings, and I studied in UNRWA’s schools, where we received free education under the supervision of dedicated teachers. We also relied on UNRWA’s food distributions many times, especially when my family experienced financial difficulties. In our childhood, we visited the agency’s clinics regularly for primary healthcare, vaccinations, and basic treatment. This service was always accessible, especially for those who could not afford private care.

After the outbreak of the Israeli genocide in Gaza on October 7, 2023, UNRWA continued to provide services as best it could. However, Israel, backed by its Western allies, launched a fierce campaign against the agency. In January 2024, the Israeli government claimed that some UNRWA staff members had been involved in the attacks; as a result, 19 employees were investigated, and some were dismissed.

These allegations gave the justification for Western donor countries to suspend their funding to UNRWA, including the United States and European Union member states. That severely impacted UNRWA’s resources at a time when two million people in Gaza almost fully depended on them.

After the ceasefire agreement was announced in January this year, the aid situation began to improve. UNRWA was able to resume aid distribution in an orderly and fair manner.

It had clear schedules and designated aid centres in each neighbourhood. To avoid chaos, each family had to register in advance using their ID number. They would get a message from UNRWA specifying the day and the exact hour they had to collect their parcels. When they arrived at the centre, their information would be checked by staff or volunteers to ensure that no one was skipped or received more than they deserved. Each family would receive a food parcel based on its size. This system gave Palestinians a sense of order in the middle of very difficult conditions.

Unfortunately, this situation did not last. On March 2, Israel blocked aid from entering the Strip, and on March 19, it resumed its genocide. Once again, people had to face displacement and unbearable conditions they thought they would never have to endure.

On April 25, UNRWA announced that its food supplies had run out. Since then, we have been enduring another severe famine. UNRWA, along with many humanitarian agencies, halted their aid operations, leaving over a million people to suffer from hunger and malnutrition.

A month later, the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) was created to take over aid distribution as a response to Israeli claims that aid was being stolen by Hamas.

Unlike UNRWA, GHF does not offer an organised system of distribution. Its aid sites are located in dangerous areas, and its process of handing over parcels is chaotic. There are no schedules, no registration, no fair distribution. Every day, a limited number of food parcels are just dumped in a fenced-off area, and people are allowed to rush in and get whatever they can. “Order” is enforced through live fire by Israeli soldiers or foreign mercenaries, who by now have killed more than 2,500 Palestinians seeking aid.

Apart from the deadly aid at GHF, Israel has allowed only a meagre amount of aid to enter Gaza; most of it has been looted before reaching its intended destination. In late July, it started allowing commercial trucks as well. All of the goods they carry go to merchants and are sold at exorbitant prices.

The famine has been relentless.

Every day, I see children in my neighbourhood rushing to get a bit of food from a takyah — a small soup kitchen run by a Palestinian charity. These local organisations usually buy the little food available in the local markets with donations from abroad. The meals are simple — rice, lentils, pasta, or soup. Families who are unable to afford food prices depend entirely on these meals.

Ironically, in August, many of the same countries that had suspended funding to UNRWA called for immediate action to end the famine in Gaza.

“Famine is unfolding before our eyes. Urgent action is needed now to halt and reverse starvation,” said a statement signed by the foreign ministers of 19 EU member states, along with Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Japan.

Yet, by cutting funding to UNRWA and allowing Israel to devastate the agency, these countries deprived more than two million people of their basic right to food

If they are serious about ending the genocide and the starvation, they must restore their support for the very agency that was created to prevent such suffering and force Israel to allow it to fully restore its services.

UNRWA was always a lifeline for the people of Gaza. It was the only agency that gave us a sense of stability and hope in the middle of chaos. For us to survive this genocide and what comes after it, UNRWA would have to be refunded and protected. Allowing Israel to destroy it would be tantamount to allowing Palestinians to be wiped out.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

Activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla who hoped to reach Gaza have been deported after being intercepted and detained in Israel. They say Israeli forces denied them food, water and medicine, and describe Greta Thunberg as being especially mistreated.

Huge numbers of people have turned out at pro-Palestinian rallies across Europe, calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and the release of activists on board a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to the territory.

Police in Rome said about 250,000 people attended a fourth consecutive day of protests on Saturday after Israel intercepted the 45-boat flotilla trying to reach Gaza last week.

Protesters in the Italian capital, including families with children, shouted: “We are all Palestinians,” “Free Palestine” and “Stop the genocide” as many carried Palestinian flags and wore black-and-white-chequered keffiyehs.

In Spain, about 70,000 people took to the streets in Barcelona, according to the police, while the government in Madrid reported nearly 92,000 marched in the capital.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, which was intercepted on Wednesday, departed Barcelona in early September and had been seeking to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza, where a United Nations-backed hunger monitor says famine has taken hold. About 50 Spaniards on the flotilla have been detained by Israel, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told public television in an interview broadcast on Saturday.

Marta Carranza, a 65-year-old pensioner demonstrating in Barcelona with a Palestinian flag on her back, said Israel’s policy “has been wrong for many years and we have to take to the streets”.

Elsewhere, several thousand people marched through the centre of Dublin to mark what organisers described as “two years of genocide” in Gaza. Along with Ireland, Spain is among the fiercest European critics of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.

In Ireland, speakers called for sanctions on Israel, an immediate end to the conflict and Palestinian involvement in any ceasefire plan.

In London, police said they made at least 442 arrests at a gathering in support of the proscribed Palestine Action group.

In Paris, where about 10,000 people gathered, a spokesperson for the French contingent of the Sumud Flotilla, Helene Coron, told the crowd: “We’ll never stop.”

“This flotilla didn’t get to Gaza. But we will send another, then another until Palestine and Gaza are free,” she said.

In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government has been criticised for its inaction regarding the siege of Gaza. On Saturday, Meloni accused demonstrators of defacing a statue of Pope John Paul II with graffiti in front of Rome’s main railway station, calling it a “shameful act”.

On September 14, about 100,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators forced the final stage of the Vuelta a Espana cycling race in the Spanish capital to be halted because an Israeli team was competing. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Israel should be barred from international sport over the war in Gaza, just as Russia has been penalised over its invasion of Ukraine.

In September, Spain announced it would ban imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are illegal under international law.