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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-10-05 at 23:06
HEADLINES
Gaza ceasefire targets first phase this week
Syria forms first post-Assad parliament
Greta Thunberg among Gaza detainees depart Israel
The time is now 7:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
Negotiations over Gaza’s future moved into a new, high-stakes phase this evening as talks brokered in Cairo pressed toward a first-stage deal. US President Donald Trump declared that time is of the essence and urged negotiators to move quickly to avoid what he described as “massive bloodshed,” while affirming that progress on a ceasefire has been “very positive.” He said technical teams would reconvene Monday in Egypt to work through the remaining details, with hopes that the first phase could be completed within the week. The plan under discussion envisions a staged handoff in Gaza, coordinated with a broader security and governance framework, and includes a pathway for a postwar arrangement that some participants hope will stabilize the region.
On the terms before the mediators, Hamas has reportedly pressed for significant concessions, including the release of several long-term prisoners and guarantees of a deep initial Israeli withdrawal, as well as assurances that the Palestinian Authority would play a major role in a “day-after” Gaza. Specifics cited in the briefing include requests to free life-term prisoners such as Marwan Barghouti, Ahmad Sa’adat, Ibrahim Hamed, Abbas al-Sayed, and Hassan Salameh, among others. Hamas is said to want a broader timetable for any final security arrangements, and to link hostage releases to these conditions. Israel has signaled it could consider certain prisoner releases as part of a negotiated process, but has rejected demands that would undermine its security or suspend its right to condition any ceasefire on long-term security arrangements.
Under the plan on the hostage-prisoner exchange, Hamas would release the remaining 48 hostages within 72 hours in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life terms, the removal of about 1,700 Gazans detained since October 7, and the return of remains of those killed in Gaza. Field conditions and ongoing combat operations could affect the timing, but mediators said the mechanism remains the focal point of the talks in Sharm el-Sheikh and Cairo.
In parallel, the United States has been publicly stressing Israel’s security needs while seeking to offer assurances that a broader peace process will be accompanied by practical steps to avoid a relapse into wider fighting. Trump’s remarks this week also underscored a warning that if Iran restarts its nuclear program, Washington would respond decisively, a reminder of the broader regional stakes tied to any Gaza agreement. The president’s team has framed the plan as “peace through strength,” emphasizing that Israel’s security must be safeguarded as any political settlement unfolds.
Diplomatic activity extended beyond the immediate Gaza talks. Qatar’s prime minister and the Qatari foreign minister spoke with the Turkish foreign minister in a late-night discussion that touched on regional developments, the Gaza process, and the mechanics of sustaining negotiations under Trump’s proposal. The conversations reflect a broader regional effort to coordinate mediating positions and maintain leverage for a successful deal.
In Syria, a first post-Assad parliament began to take shape under a system that many observers described as undemocratic. Local committees and interim leadership appointed a third of the 210-seat body, with the rest to be chosen by bodies aligned with the new authority. The assembly’s formation is intended to consolidate the influence of the interim leadership and to manage a transition that remains fragile. Critics say the process excludes significant dissenting voices and minority groups, and that genuine direct elections are a distant prospect as the c
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