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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-10-09 at 17:06
HEADLINES
Ceasefire moves forward with staged hostage exchange
Trump backs ceasefire signing planned in Egypt
Palestinian Authority sidelined in postwar Gaza governance
The time is now 1:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
A ceasefire framework announced in Sharm el-Sheikh is moving toward implementation as Israel’s security leadership reviews the proposal and the Israeli military prepares for a staged withdrawal. briefing material indicates that within 24 hours of formal approval, Israel would begin a major redeployment to a new boundary line, with Hamas expected to maintain control of most urban areas for the moment. The plan calls for a phased exchange: within 72 hours, twenty hostages would be released alive and twenty-eight hostages who have died would be accounted for, in exchange for the release of two hundred fifty imprisoned militants, the release of roughly 1,700 Gaza residents who were not involved in the October 7 events, and the release of twenty-two minors. In addition, three hundred sixty bodies of militants held in Gaza would be transferred to the Strip. The objective is a ceasefire that allows for a broader political and security framework to take hold, but officials caution that the situation remains highly fragile and the risk of renewed confrontations persists.
In Washington, President Donald Trump said the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan should produce the release of the hostages early next week, with Israel and its partners moving toward a signing ceremony in Egypt. Trump opened a White House cabinet meeting by praising the deal reached in Sharm el-Sheikh and asserted that it could usher in lasting peace in the region. He noted that a broad coalition of Arab partners has shown support for the approach and stressed that the fate of the hostages would remain central to any long-term settlement. The president suggested that a visit to the region, including Egypt, could accompany the formal signing.
The government in Cairo welcomed the progression of talks, with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi extending an invitation to Trump to attend the signing in Egypt. In New Delhi, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, congratulating him on the agreement and underscoring continued partnership between their countries. The conversations underscore broad regional engagement around the deal, including a sense among several governments that resolving the hostages issue could help stabilize the region and clear the way for post-conflict rebuilding.
In Jerusalem, debate continues over the post-war framework for Gaza. Senior Palestinian officials privately expressed disappointment with aspects of the US blueprint that would, for now, limit the Palestinian Authority’s immediate role in governing Gaza until major reforms are achieved. The tension highlights the difficulty of reconciling security assurances with political transitions on the ground. In parallel, discussions within the Israeli cabinet and the Knesset have focused on what the long-term security and governance arrangements will look like, including risk assessments tied to the potential reconfiguration of the Strip’s administration and the role of international actors in reconstruction.
On the security front, the Israeli defense establishment faces continuing vigilance. The IDF has warned that the enemy remains present and capable of launching new strikes or attempting opportunistic assaults, even as the military recalibrates its posture in the wake of the ceasefire announcement. There have been reports of renewed operational tempo and attention to the possibility of mob activity along hostage convoys, underscoring the ongoing need for disciplined coordination and rapid responses should moves toward the next phase of the plan encounter delays or threats.
Israe
Published on 3 weeks, 6 days ago