Israelis prepared to mourn the dead on Tuesday as the nation marks two years since Hamas' 7 October attack plunged the region into a devastating war, while Israel and Hamas hold indirect talks in Egypt.
Donald Trump has said “tremendous progress” has been made after talks on a Gaza peace plan got underway between Israel and Hamas in Egypt.
An Egyptian official with knowledge of the talks said the parties wrapped up the first round of negotiations after several hours at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, and the discussions were set to resume the following afternoon, the day of the conflict’s anniversary.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the parties have agreed on most of the first-phase terms, which include the release of hostages and establishing a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Israel is still pounding Gaza with deadly airstrikes despite the US president's order to stop. Gaza's health ministry said the Palestinian death toll reached 67,160 on Monday. The war began following Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel, which killed nearly 1,200 people.
Read More
The Sea: How an Israeli director’s moving film about a Palestinian boy became a target for Netanyahu
Key Points
- Israel marks two years of 7 October Hamas attack
- Trump expresses optimism of a Gaza deal soon after 'tremendous progress' made
- Parties agree on most of first-phase terms, which include ceasefire and release of hostages, official says
- Israel and Hamas wrap up first round of talks on Trump's peace plan, Egyptian official says
- Trump demands Israel and Hamas ‘move fast’ to end Gaza war
- Who is at the table for negotiations in Egypt?
Badenoch claims Starmer government has ‘rewarded terrorists’ in recognising Palestinian state
06:27
,
Namita Singh
On the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said "the same hatred that fuelled those barbaric attacks still festers today".
She said in a statement: "Israel, the world's only Jewish state, has faced hatred, war and terror since the day it was founded. And yet, it has stood strong. A beacon of democracy and resilience in the Middle East.
"But two years on from the horrific massacre on October 7, we must also be honest: the same hatred that fuelled those barbaric attacks still festers today.
"We see it in the so-called 'protests' that turn into hate marches on our streets. We hear it in chants calling to 'globalise the intifada'. And we saw it again, tragically, in the appalling terrorist attack on our Jewish community right here in Manchester just last week."
She added: "It is shameful that in recognising Palestine as a state, the government has rewarded the terrorists that perpetrated the 7th October atrocities.
"Appeasement does not work. There are still 48 hostages held captive in Gaza. They must come home now."
Starmer brands protests taking place on 7 October anniversary ‘un-British’
06:26
,
Namita Singh
The UK will "always stand tall" against those who wish harm and hatred upon Jewish communities, Sir Keir Starmer said as he urged students not to protest on the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks.
Around 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage in the deadly attacks on Israel by Hamas in 2023.
Every child of Israel should be able to live alongside their Palestinian neighbours in "safety and security", the prime minister said as he marked the anniversary.
In pictures: Vigils around world to mark two years since 7 October Hamas attack
06:11
,
Namita Singh
05:54
,
Namita Singh
There are still major areas of contention over the ceasefire terms presented by Donald Trump that could potentially impact the outcome of talks.
One Hamas official has already said that it would need days or weeks to locate some hostages' bodies, for example.
And senior Hamas officials have suggested that there are still major disagreements requiring further negotiations.
A key demand is for Hamas to disarm, but the group's response made no mention of that.
It's not clear that Hamas officials can agree among themselves on the plan.
A senior official, Mousa Abu Marzouk, said that Hamas was willing to hand over its weapons to a future Palestinian body that runs Gaza, but there was no mention of that in the group's official statement responding to Trump's plan.
Another official, Osama Hamdan, told Al Araby television that Hamas would refuse foreign administration of the Gaza Strip and that the entry of foreign forces would be "unacceptable."Parts of the plan remain unclear. Hamas wants Israel to leave Gaza completely, but the plan says Israel would maintain a "security perimeter presence," which could mean it would keep a buffer zone inside the territory.
And the future of a possible Palestinian state remains in question. The plan says that if the Palestinian Authority, which administers the occupied West Bank, reforms sufficiently and Gaza redevelopment advances, "the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood".
While Israel has said it backs Trump's plan, Benjamin Netanyahu has continued to reject outright the idea of recognising a state of Palestine.
Is Trump’s plan an existential threat to Hamas?
05:39
,
Namita Singh
Donald Trump may be frantically calling for an agreement between Israel and Hamas, but the latter has always created chaos and ridden its violent waves – and has little incentive to pursue peace, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley.
How have Israel and Hamas responded to peace plan
05:26
,
Namita Singh
A Hamas statement on Friday said that it was willing to release the hostages and hand over power to other Palestinians, but that other aspects of the plan require further consultations among Palestinians. The statement made no mention of Hamas disarming, which is a key Israeli demand.
The statement also reiterated its longstanding openness to handing power over to a politically independent Palestinian body.
Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that Israel was prepared for the implementation of the "first stage" of Donald Trump's peace plan, apparently referring to the release of hostages. But his office said in a statement that Israel was committed to ending the war based on principles that it has set out before.
Netanyahu has long said that Hamas must surrender and disarm.
Israel's army on Saturday said that the country's leaders had instructed it to prepare for the first phase of the US plan.
Essentials of Trump’s ceasefire plan
04:48
,
Namita Singh
Under Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, all hostilities would – in theory – immediately end. Under the deal, Hamas would release all hostages it holds, living or dead, within 72 hours.
The militants still have 48 hostages. Israel believes about 20 of them are alive.
Israel would free 250 Palestinians serving life sentences in its prisons and 1,700 people detained from Gaza since the war began, including all women and children.
Israel also would hand over the bodies of 15 Palestinians for each body of a hostage handed over.
Israeli troops would withdraw from Gaza after Hamas disarms, and an international security force would be deployed. The territory would be placed under an international board of governance, with Trump overseeing it and former prime minister Tony Blair named as an example of a member.
An interim administration of Palestinian technocrats would run day-to-day affairs. Hamas would have no part in administering Gaza, and all its military infrastructure, including tunnels, would be dismantled. Members who pledge to live peacefully would be granted amnesty. Those who wish to leave Gaza can.
Palestinians wouldn't be expelled from Gaza. Large amounts of humanitarian aid would be allowed and would be run by "neutral international bodies," including the United Nations and the Red Crescent.
Who's at the Gaza peace talks?
04:25
,
Namita Singh
US envoy Steve Witkoff is leading the US negotiating team for the Israel-Hamas peace talks, according to a senior Egyptian official Saturday.
Local Egyptian media said that Witkoff and Jared Kushner, US president Donald Trump's son-in-law, arrived in Egypt and are expected to join the talks.
The Israelis are led by top negotiator Ron Dermer, while Khalil al-Hayyah leads the Hamas delegation. Netanyahu's office said that foreign policy adviser Ophir Falk would also be present for Israel among others.
It's not clear how long the talks would last.
Netanyahu said they would be "confined to a few days maximum," and Trump has said that Hamas must move quickly, "or else all bets will be off."
Hamas officials have warned more time may be needed to locate bodies of hostages buried under rubble.
Key talks to end the war in Gaza begin
04:12
,
Namita Singh
Israel and Hamas began indirect talks on ending the war in Gaza on Monday, after both sides signalled support for US president Donald Trump's peace plan.
The talks in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh are brokered by the US and aim at hammering out details for the plan's first phase.
That includes a ceasefire to allow for the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
Trump's plan has received wide international backing and raised hopes for an end to a devastating war that has upended global politics, left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and the Gaza Strip in ruins.
The war began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251.
Many uncertainties remain around the latest plan, including the demand for Hamas to disarm and the future governance of Gaza.
Recap: US claims Israel needs to stop heavy bombardment for hostages to be released
04:00
,
Bryony Gooch
The US has said Israel's heavy bombardment of Gaza would need to stop for hostages to be released.
Israel says it is largely heeding Mr Trump's call.
The Israeli military said it is mostly carrying out defensive strikes to protect troops, though dozens of Palestinians have been killed since the military's statement on Saturday night.
Gaza's Health Ministry said on Monday that the bodies of 19 people, including two aid-seekers killed by Israeli strikes and gunfire, had been brought to hospitals over the past 24 hours and another 96 were wounded.
The deaths brought the Palestinian toll to 67,160 since the Hamas attack on October 7 2023 triggered the war, with nearly 170,000 wounded, the ministry said.
The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but says more than half of the deaths were women and children.
The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the UN and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.
Israel marks two years of 7 October Hamas attack
03:56
,
Namita Singh
Israelis prepared to mourn the dead on Tuesday as the nation marks two years since Hamas' 7 October attack plunged the region into a devastating war, while Israel and Hamas hold indirect talks in Egypt.
The main memorial ceremony is being organised by bereaved families, not the government, reflecting deep divisions over prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership, which many blame for the failure to secure a ceasefire that would free the remaining hostages held by the militant group.
Report:
Analysis: Love him or hate him, Trump just showed Biden and Democrats how to handle Israel’s Netanyahu. But can his Gaza ‘peace’ endure?
03:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Liberals hate Donald Trump’s demanding and sometimes petulant approach to foreign policy. But it may have achieved what Joe Biden and Kamala Harris could not, writes John Bowden, The Independent’s Washington DC Correspondent.
Read more here:
Recap: Israel and Hamas officials finish first rounds of talks
02:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Israeli and Hamas officials have wrapped up the first round of talks at an Egyptian resort on a US-drafted peace plan to end the ruinous war in Gaza on the eve of its second anniversary.
The talks, which went on for several hours, unfolded amid many questions about the plan presented by US President Donald Trump last week, including the disarmament of the militant group - a key Israeli demand - and the future governance of Gaza.
Mr Trump has indicated that an agreement on Gaza could pave the way for a Middle East peace process that could reshape the region.
Despite Trump ordering Israel to stop the bombing, Israeli forces continued to pound Gaza with airstrikes, killing at least 19 people in the last 24 hours, the territory's Health Ministry said.
Trump claims there's a 'really good chance' at a deal
01:30
,
Bryony Gooch
"I really think we're going to have a deal," Trump told reporters on Monday at the White House as the delegations met in Egypt. "We have a really good chance of making a deal, and it'll be a lasting deal."
But both sides are seeking clarifications of crucial details, including those that have derailed previous attempts to end the war and could defy any quick resolution.
Trump has pushed Israel to suspend its bombing of Gaza for the talks. Gaza residents said Israel had scaled back its offensive substantially, although not halted it altogether.
Gaza health authorities reported 19 people killed by Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours, around a third of the typical daily toll in recent weeks, when Israel has been mounting one of its biggest offensives of the war in Gaza City.
Watch: Gaza flotilla activists allege mistreatment while being detained in Israel
01:00
,
Tara Cobham
What are the essentials of Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan
Tuesday 7 October 2025 00:30
,
Tara Cobham
All hostilities would – in theory – immediately end. Under the deal, Hamas would release all hostages it holds, living or dead, within 72 hours. The militants still have 48 hostages. Israel believes 20 of them are alive.
Israel would free 250 Palestinians serving life sentences in its prisons and 1,700 people detained from Gaza since the war began, including all women and children. Israel also would hand over the bodies of 15 Palestinians for each body of a hostage handed over.
Israeli troops would withdraw from Gaza after Hamas disarms, and an international security force would deploy. The territory would be placed under international governance, with Trump and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair overseeing it.
An interim administration of Palestinian technocrats would run day-to-day affairs. Hamas would have no part in administering Gaza, and all its military infrastructure, including tunnels, would be dismantled. Members who pledge to live peacefully would be granted amnesty. Those who wish to leave Gaza can.
Palestinians wouldn't be expelled from Gaza. Large amounts of humanitarian aid would be allowed and would be run by "neutral international bodies," including the United Nations and the Red Crescent.
Who are the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza and what might happen to them?
Tuesday 7 October 2025 00:00
,
Tara Cobham
Hamas has indicated that it may be willing to release all of the hostages taken from Israel during the 7 October, 2023 attacks as part of a peace deal - almost two years after the attacks took place.
A total of 251 Israeli and foreign nationals were taken hostage when Hamas militants stormed across the border. The majority were returned alive during two temporary ceasefire agreements in autumn 2023 and between January and March 2025, but dozens of others have been killed while in captivity.
However, the hostages could be released as part of a new peace deal proposed by President Donald Trump. Negotiators from Hamas and Israel will discuss details of the 20-point plan in Egypt on Monday. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Israel would “finish the job” if the Palestinian militants did not agree to the deal.
My colleagues Tom Watling and Alex Croft take a look at who the remaining hostages are and what could happen to them:
Who's at the Gaza peace plan talks
Monday 6 October 2025 23:30
,
Tara Cobham
US envoy Steve Witkoff is leading the US negotiating team, according to a senior Egyptian official Saturday. Local Egyptian media said that Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, arrived in Egypt and are expected to join the talks.
Hamas said that its delegation will be headed by its chief negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, and Israel has said its delegation will be headed by top negotiator and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confidant Ron Dermer, although it wasn't clear if he was on the ground in Egypt. Netanyahu's office said that foreign policy adviser Ophir Falk would also be present for Israel among others.
It's not clear how long the talks would last. Netanyahu said they would be "confined to a few days maximum," and Trump has said that Hamas must move quickly, "or else all bets will be off." Hamas officials have warned more time may be needed to locate bodies of hostages buried under rubble.
Comment: Why Trump’s peace plan is so existentially terrifying for Hamas
Monday 6 October 2025 23:00
,
Tara Cobham
Hamas is in a muddle. Should it stay or should it go? Can its leadership accept disarmament and exile to save Gaza from further Israeli bombardment, release its remaining hostages, and leave the future enclave to a foreign occupation – in the name of peace?
The Islamic Resistance Movement, as Hamas is strictly known, knows what it is when it’s fighting. It is a mess when it is not at war.
And now it may be close to irrelevant. For a militant movement that has built its worldview on martyrdom and has been prepared to provoke staggering violence from Israel, Hamas knows that its irrelevance is now existential.
The Independent’s World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley reports:
Jordan's king and Trump discuss US Gaza plan developments
Monday 6 October 2025 22:30
,
Tara Cobham
Jordan's King Abdullah discussed the latest developments related to US President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza in a phone call with the American president, the Jordanian royal court said on Monday.
Parties agree on most of first-phase terms, which include ceasefire and release of hostages, official says
Monday 6 October 2025 22:17
,
Tara Cobham
An Egyptian official with knowledge of the talks said the parties wrapped up Monday's round of negotiations at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, and the discussions were set to resume on Tuesday afternoon.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, said the parties have agreed on most of the first-phase terms, which include the release of hostages and establishing a ceasefire.
Israel and Hamas wrap up first round of talks on Trump's peace plan, according to official
Monday 6 October 2025 22:05
,
Tara Cobham
Israeli and Hamas officials have wrapped up the first round of talks on a US-drafted peace plan to end the ruinous war in Gaza on the eve of its second anniversary, according to an official.
The parties wrapped up Monday's round of negotiations at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, and the discussions were set to resume on Tuesday afternoon, said an Egyptian official with knowledge of the talks.
The indirect talks, which went on for several hours at an Egyptian resort, unfolded amid many questions about the plan presented by US President Donald Trump last week, including the disarmament of the militant group – a key Israeli demand – and the future governance of Gaza.
Trump expresses optimism of a Gaza deal soon after 'tremendous progress' made
Monday 6 October 2025 22:02
,
Tara Cobham
US President Donald Trump said on Monday he thought there would be a Gaza deal soon.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said “tremendous progress” on the issue had been made.
Analysis: Love him or hate him, Trump just showed Biden and Democrats how to handle Israel’s Netanyahu. But can his Gaza ‘peace’ endure?
Monday 6 October 2025 21:40
,
Tara Cobham
As Monday dawned in Doha, where negotiators were set to meet and discuss the beginnings of a peace agreement to end the war in Gaza, prospects for ending a bloody conflict that upended regional stability and threatened to engulf the entire Middle East in war seemed closer than ever.
Back in Washington, Donald Trump similarly looks closer than ever to achieving the peacemaker label he’s long sought and often falsely claimed for himself by running around the world and claiming credit for ending multiple wars — the current count stands (allegedly) at seven.
And news coverage in both America and Israel is making the case that the U.S. president did what his predecessor either could not or would not: he “strong-armed” Benjamin Netanyahu into bringing this conflict to an end.
What questions remain over the Gaza peace plan
Monday 6 October 2025 21:20
,
Tara Cobham
Questions include the timing of key steps. One Hamas official said that it would need days or weeks to locate some hostages' bodies. And senior Hamas officials have suggested that there are still major disagreements requiring further negotiations. A key demand is for Hamas to disarm, but the group's response made no mention of that.
It's not clear that Hamas officials can agree among themselves on the plan.
A senior official, Mousa Abu Marzouk, said that Hamas was willing to hand over its weapons to a future Palestinian body that runs Gaza, but there was no mention of that in the group's official statement responding to Trump's plan. Another official, Osama Hamdan, told Al Araby television that Hamas would refuse foreign administration of the Gaza Strip and that the entry of foreign forces would be "unacceptable."
Parts of the plan remain unclear. Hamas wants Israel to leave Gaza completely, but the plan says Israel would maintain a "security perimeter presence," which could mean it would keep a buffer zone inside the territory.
And the future of Gaza remains in question. The plan says that if the Palestinian Authority, which administers the occupied West Bank, reforms sufficiently and Gaza redevelopment advances, "the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood."
What have Hamas and Israel said about the Gaza peace plan talks
Monday 6 October 2025 21:00
,
Tara Cobham
A Hamas statement on Friday said that it was willing to release the hostages and hand over power to other Palestinians, but that other aspects of the plan require further consultations among Palestinians. The statement made no mention of Hamas disarming, which is a key Israeli demand.
The statement also reiterated its longstanding openness to handing power over to a politically independent Palestinian body.
Meanwhile, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that Israel was prepared for the implementation of the "first stage" of Trump's plan, apparently referring to the release of hostages. But his office said in a statement that Israel was committed to ending the war based on principles that it has set out before. Netanyahu has long said that Hamas must surrender and disarm.
Israel's army on Saturday said that the country's leaders had instructed it to prepare for the first phase of the US plan.
What are the sticking points that could sink Trump’s peace plan for Gaza?
Monday 6 October 2025 20:40
,
Tara Cobham
Hamas and Israel will begin discussions on a long-term peace deal this week, after agreeing in principle to Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for war-torn Gaza.
Egypt is hosting negotiations between both sides beginning on Monday, after the US president presented the peace plan alongside Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Hamas responded with a carefully-worded statement which agreed to the outline of the deal but suggested it wanted to negotiate on certain topics.
Major sticking points remain in their vision of peace - and Trump has warned Hamas that it will face “complete obliteration” if they do not accept.
The Independent takes a look at the issues which could bring the deal to collapse:
Trump warns Hamas faces ‘complete obliteration’ as Gaza ceasefire talks begin in Egypt
Monday 6 October 2025 20:20
,
Maira Butt
President Donald Trump reiterated his warning that Hamas would face a major offensive if the group does not agree to concede control of Gaza ahead of anticipated talks in Egypt towards releasing the remaining hostages and ending the war.
In a text message sent to CNN reporter Jake Tapper on Saturday, the president said the consequences for Hamas would be “complete obliteration” if the group insists on staying in power.
Ariana Baio and James C Reynolds reports:
In pictures: Israel continues bombing of Gaza Strip as negotiations commence
Monday 6 October 2025 20:00
,
Maira Butt
An Israeli army flare drifts over buildings destroyed during Israeli ground and air operations in the northern Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel on Monday 6 October.
Few think Tony Blair is the right man to save Gaza. Why does he?
Monday 6 October 2025 19:40
,
Maira Butt
Who is set to be on Trump’s Board of Peace? Tony Blair named as part of Israel-Gaza plan
Monday 6 October 2025 19:20
,
Maira Butt
Donald Trump announced on Monday that a Gaza peace deal was “beyond very close”, presenting a 20-point plan to end the war as Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu backed the plan.
Under the proposal, Israel would ultimately withdraw, and Gaza would be governed by a transitional government responsible for the day-to-day running of public services, overseen by an international body called the “Board of Peace”.