Podcast Episode Details

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-10-09 at 16:08

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HEADLINES
- Sharm ceasefire seals Gaza hostage release plan
- Israel weighs prisoner releases and troop withdrawal
- UN backs two-state path for Palestinian peace

The time is now 12:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

This is the noon edition. A ceasefire brokered in Sharm el-Sheikh between Israel and Hamas stands as the most consequential shift since the Gaza war began, a deal built to end active fighting while laying out a staged path for hostage releases and a redeployed military footprint. The principals, with the United States in a leading role, say the agreement preserves Israel’s security requirements while opening a new chapter in regional diplomacy, a chapter that could influence security and diplomacy across the Middle East in the weeks and months ahead.

At the heart of the agreement is a two-phase process centered on hostages and a redeployed military posture. In the immediate phase, negotiations point to the release of 20 living hostages and the return of the bodies of others held by Hamas, with the broader exchange and verification procedures outlined for later stages. Israel is positioned to begin a measured withdrawal from populated Gaza Strip areas, while retaining security control over a substantial portion of the territory as a buffer against renewed threats. The plan envisions that within the first phase, Israel’s military redeployment will be followed by the withdrawal to agreed deployment lines, leaving roughly half of Gaza under Israeli control along with a secure border buffer zone that includes key crossing points and perimeter corridors.

On the humanitarian and legal side, the agreement allocates a number of concessions that could have a lasting impact on Gaza’s civilian landscape. Israel has signaled that 250 Palestinian prisoners will be freed under the deal, along with the release of 1,700 residents of Gaza who were detained after the October 7 violence and were not involved in those events, plus 22 minors. In addition, 360 bodies of those killed will be returned, with the Dead receiving appropriate formalities once in Israeli custody. The parties say Red Cross coordination will govern the handling of living hostages for safety and medical evaluation before transfer to Israeli facilities, with a subsequent transition to hospitals in central Israel for medical care and family reunions where possible.

The negotiations reflect a broader framework that emphasizes not only a halt to hostilities but a reconfiguration of governance and security arrangements in Gaza. The involvement of Palestinian factions beyond Hamas — including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine — is noted by mediators as significant, a point intended to reduce the risk of a blame game if the ceasefire is challenged. The mediating powers — Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United States — have pressed for a rapid, peaceful implementation while warning that any serious breach could jeopardize the gains and trigger renewed action.

The domestic political calculus in Israel is closely watched as the cabinet weighs the terms. Israel’s defense and security leadership has underscored the imperative of guarding soldiers and civilians alike, while a number of ministers have pressed for careful consideration of which prisoners to release and how to structure the phased withdrawals. Critics inside the cabinet have argued over the scope of concessions, including the fate of specific names in prisoner lists, while supporters say the deal marks a necessary turning point after a long and costly conflict. The government is expected to ratify the agreement and to confirm the operational framework that will guide the redeployment and hostage releases in the days ahead, even as ministers emphasize that Israel will respond decisively to any violation of the ceasefire or violation o

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Published on 3 weeks, 6 days ago