Podcast Episode Details

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-10-05 at 20:10

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HEADLINES
- Gaza plan edges toward hostage deal
- Hamas taps Raed Saad as chief
- Qatar backs Gaza withdrawal fuels diplomacy

The time is now 4:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

The time is 4:00 PM. Here is your hourly update on the evolving security situation, hostage diplomacy, regional diplomacy, and notable developments from Israel, its neighbors, and the broader international conversation.

First, the Gaza plan, the hostages, and the Washington-Jerusalem dynamic
A sense of cautious momentum persists around Washington’s peace proposal for Gaza, even as key elements remain contested. Reports describe a tense exchange between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Hamas replied to the plan. An informed US official quoted in media reports said the conversation touched on the prospect that the plan could move forward, but also noted hesitancy within segments of Israel’s security establishment. In paraphrase of the exchange described by outlets, Trump urged Netanyahu to acknowledge what he called a favorable opening, telling him that “this is a win” even as some in Israel warned the plan would require hard concessions and verifications on the ground.

Across the bargaining table, mediators expect progress to be measured in days, not weeks. The plan envisions a staged Israeli withdrawal from parts of Gaza, coupled with the release of hostages and the disarmament of Hamas under international supervision. Hamas is reported to have indicated openness in principle to surrendering weapons, while insisting on guarantees about an Israeli withdrawal and the future governance of Gaza. The proposed framework would see Israel releasing a sizable number of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the broader hostages’ release; numbers widely cited in press accounts include around 48 hostages in the first phase and more than 1,700 detainees or prisoners on the Palestinian side included in the exchange, with roughly 250 prisoners with life sentences among those to be released by Israel. US officials and allied mediators caution that the specifics must be met in sequence and verified on the ground, with a Red Cross and international monitors likely to play roles in the process.

In parallel, mediators in Cairo and other capitals have signaled that they will test whether Hamas can deliver on hostage releases and whether Israel will sustain the necessary troop redeployments. Heartened by early signals from some Hamas leadership, negotiators warn that divisions among Hamas factions and questions about leadership continuity could complicate implementation. On the American side, there is reiteration that Washington intends to stand by Israel in the event of a delay, a breakdown, or a perceived failure to meet agreed timelines, while stressing the goal of a durable ceasefire and a path to postwar arrangements that address the security concerns Israel has long said are nonnegotiable.

On the Israeli end, the process faces scrutiny from within the coalition and among security officials who argue that any deal must guarantee that Hamas no longer maintains a capable, armed presence in Gaza. Prime Minister Netanyahu has publicly tempered optimism, underscoring that nothing moves ahead until all hostages return home, and stressing that the plan’s terms require careful translation into a verifiable Israeli withdrawal and a credible disarmament mechanism. Reports indicate that US envoy involvement and high-level meetings in Cairo are continuing, with the aim of reaching a roadmap that can win acceptance on the ground from both hostages’ families and political factions at home.

Hamas leadership, the hostage issue, and a shifting governance dynamic
Inside Hamas, leadership turnover and strategic recalibration are noted in reporting. A new chief of staff—Raed Saad—has taken a central r

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Published on 1 month ago