Hamas has set out its conditions for a deal to end Israel’s offensive on Gaza during the second day of talks in Egypt.
Indirect negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian militant group are being held at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh and focus on a plan proposed by US president Donald Trump.
A US team, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, is set to arrive to join mediation efforts on Wednesday. They will also be joined by prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani of Qatar, who has played a key role in previous talks.
The talks on Tuesday, which coincided with the anniversary of the October 7 attack that started the war, ended with top Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya saying the group had come "to engage in serious and responsible negotiations”.
He said Hamas was ready to reach a deal, yet it needed a "guarantee" to end the war and ensure "it is not repeated".
On Tuesday, Mr Trump expressed optimism about the talks. Speaking at the Oval Office, he said: "I think there's a possibility that we could have peace in the Middle East.”
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Key Points
- Hamas sets out conditions to accept Trump-brokered ceasefire
- Hostage families demand explanation from Netanyahu over incorrect figure
- Israelis say it is time to end the war
- Italy's Meloni 'reported to ICC' for alleged complicity in genocide
- In pictures: Vigils around world to mark two years since 7 October Hamas attack
- Starmer brands protests taking place on 7 October anniversary ‘un-British’
Meloni says she was reported to ICC for alleged complicity in genocide
04:15
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni has revealed that she has been reported to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged complicity in genocide in connection with Israel's offensive in Gaza.
Two of Ms Meloni’s ministers have also been reported to the ICC, she revealed on Tuesday.
Speaking with state television broadcaster RAI, Ms Meloni said defence minister Guido Crosetto and foreign minister Antonio Tajani had been denounced, and "I think" also Roberto Cingolani, the head of defence group Leonardo.
"I don't believe there is another case like this in the world or in history," Ms Meloni said.
More here.
Hamas sets out conditions
03:35
,
Alex Ross
Donald Trump met senior US mediators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for an update on the negotiations before they departed for Egypt for talks on Wednesday.
They discussed issues such as ensuring the safety of the hostages and security guarantees, the official added.
"The (Hamas) movement’s delegation participating in the current negotiations in Egypt is working to overcome all obstacles to reaching an agreement that meets the aspirations of our people in Gaza," senior Hamas official Fawzi Barhoum said in a televised statement.
He said a deal must ensure an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip - conditions that Israel has never accepted. Israel, for its part, wants Hamas to disarm, something the group rejects.
Hamas wants a permanent, comprehensive ceasefire, a complete pullout of Israeli forces and the immediate start of a comprehensive reconstruction process under the supervision of a Palestinian "national technocratic body", he said.
Hamas ready to 'engage in serious negotiations'
02:34
,
Alex Ross
On the second day of talks in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, top Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya told Egyptian state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV the group had come "to engage in serious and responsible negotiations."
He said Hamas was ready to reach a deal, yet it needed a "guarantee" to end the war and ensure "it is not repeated".
Trump optimistic on peace
01:32
,
Alex Ross
Hamas said on Tuesday it was ready to reach a deal to end the war in Gaza based on President Donald Trump's plan but still has demands, as Qatar's prime minister and senior U.S. mediators headed to Egypt to join indirect negotiations between the Palestinian militant group and Israel.
On the second anniversary of Hamas' attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war, Trump expressed optimism about progress toward a Gaza deal.
A US team including special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and his Middle East envoy during his first term, left for the talks.
"I think there's a possibility that we could have peace in the Middle East" beyond just Gaza, the US president told reporters in the Oval Office.
A source close to the talks said they had adjourned for the day and the atmosphere had been better than on Monday. Negotiations on Wednesday would be a decisive indicator of whether progress was possible given the presence of the senior mediators, the source said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani of Qatar, which has been one of the key mediators, will join the talks on Wednesday, an official told Reuters, "with the aim of pushing forward the Gaza ceasefire plan and hostage release agreement".
Father of killed hostage whose body is in Gaza hits out at Netanyahu
Tuesday 7 October 2025 22:00
,
Alex Croft
Ruby Chen, the father of killed hostage Itay Chen, whose body is being held in Gaza, has hit out at Benjamin Netanyahu and others for referring to “20 hostages”.
Reference to the “20 hostages”, a figure which has been commonly mentioned in Israel, does not include the bodies of those still being held in Gaza.
“Even though we were notified [of his death], in my book, it doesn’t change his status as a hostage,” Mr Chen told The Independent.
“It’s very, very disappointing when the prime minister, even the president, says ‘20 hostages’.
“I was in the UN listening to Netanyahu speak and he started naming the hostages. He stopped after 20. I actually wanted to yell out, ‘What about Itay?’” he added.
Israelis march for hostages in Jerusalem
Tuesday 7 October 2025 21:01
,
Alex Croft
Israelis marched in Jerusalem on Tuesday to call for the return of hostages still held in Gaza after two years of war.
Atalia Regev told the BBC she remembered waiting anxiously for a friend in kibbutz Be’eri to respond to texts during Hamas’ incursion.
Two years on, she says she and her partner, Bar, have always supported peace, but have lingering trust issues.
“We didn’t have any regular life for a long time. It was really, really hard,” she said.
One killed in Israeli drone strike in Lebanon, says health ministry
Tuesday 7 October 2025 20:01
,
Alex Croft
One person was killed and another wounded in an Israeli drone strike in Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry said on Tuesday.
The drone was said to be targeting a car in Deir Aames, a town in the south.
The IDF is yet to comment.
Qatar says many details need ironing for full agreement between Israel and Hamas
Tuesday 7 October 2025 19:02
,
Alex Croft
Qatar, which has mediated in previous attempts to secure a ceasefire along with the United States and Egypt, has said many details still have to be ironed out to reach a full agreement between Israel and Hamas.
"The plan consists of 20 points, and all of these points require practical interpretations on the ground," Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari, told a press conference.
Hamas handing over hostages seized in the 2023 attack would mean the end of the war, he said.
Hostage families endorse Trump for peace prize
Tuesday 7 October 2025 18:02
,
Alex Croft
Families of hostages still held in Gaza have endorsed Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize over his efforts to secure the release of the remaining captives.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement to the Norwegian Nobel Committee on Monday that “for the first time in months, we are hopeful that our nightmare will finally be over” as Trump’s plan to end the war was tabled in Egypt.
“We are confident that [Trump] will not rest until the last hostage is brought home, the war has ended, and peace and prosperity are restored to the people of the Middle East,” they said, calling on the committee to name the U.S. president as the laureate of the award this Friday.
Netanyahu 'very positive' on talks, says Trump
Tuesday 7 October 2025 17:28
,
Alex Croft
US president Donald Trump assured Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains “very positive” about the ongoing indirect peace talks in Egypt.
Pressed by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on an Axios report that claimed Trump had urged Netanyahu to stop being negative, the U.S. leader said it was “not true”.
“He’s been very positive on the deal,” Trump said. “But this is a deal that, incredibly, everyone just came together. They all came together. No, Israel’s been great. They’ve all been good, Kaitlan.”
Hamas issues statement two years on from attacks
Tuesday 7 October 2025 17:00
,
Alex Croft
Hamas issued a statement on the second anniversary of the deadly October 7 attacks.
It described the time since as “two years of pain, injustice, oppression and great suffering, of heavy costs”.
Hamas criticised Israel’s attacks on “defenceless civilians”, lamenting “shameful international silence and complicity and unprecedented Arab failure”.
First round of talks 'concludes' with Witkoff to join negotiations
Tuesday 7 October 2025 16:59
,
Daniel Keane
The first round of ceasefire talks between Israeli and Hamas officials has concluded in Egypt, Palestinian official has said.
The official told the BBC that the negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian delegations in resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh lasted for four hours. Qatari and Egyptian mediators were in attendance, the source said.
Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will arrive imminently to join the talks along with Jared Kushner, the President’s son-in-law and a former senior advisor in his last administration.
'Positive signals' coming from talks, senior Palestinian official says
Tuesday 7 October 2025 16:32
,
Alex Croft
The Independent’s chief correspondent Bel Trew has been speaking to Palestinian officials:
Palestinian deputy foreign minister Omar Awadallah told The Independent that there were “positive signals” coming out of the indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Sharm El-Sheikh over a deal for Gaza.
He said that we were “the closest to an agreement since January”, when the last temporary truce was reached and came into effect.
Representatives from Hamas, Israel, as well as Egypt, Qatar, and the United States are currently in Sharm El-Sheikh working on the implementation of Trump’s 20-point peace plan. So far, negotiators have been fairly tight-lipped about what exactly has been discussed.
Mr Awadallah said that top of the agenda right now was the “first part” of the plan: the release of hostages and prisoners, the entry of aid “at scale”, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and a halt to the fighting, the end to the slaughter.
For these initial stages, he said “the atmosphere is optimistic” that an agreement could be reached soon, as Trump has put pressure on a deal this week.
The issue, however, is the timeframes and a “solid action plan”.
“For [the] withdrawal of Israeli forces, we want the time frame to be quick, so that our people can be relieved and we can start the process of recovery and reconstruction. Without Israel’s withdrawal, it will be difficult,” he told The Independent from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
“But the deal needs action plans, time lines and time tables.”
One of the key concerns from the Palestinian side is Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu “playing tricks.”
“He is a master in changing agreed upon ideas, and in sabotaging any peaceful solution in the Middle East.
“The concern is without time line of withdrawal, this turns into a de facto occupation of Gaza, and also isolating Gaza, taking Gaza out of the geographical and political unity that is essential to political peace process.”
“Gaza is integral to the state of Palestine, there is no ‘people in Gaza’, no ‘Ramallah’s people’, no ‘West Bank people’, it is called the question of Palestine,” he added.
Guterres backs Trump's peace plan
Tuesday 7 October 2025 16:31
,
Alex Croft
Ahead of the resumption of talks on Tuesday, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres called for an end to the hostilities, which have created "a humanitarian catastrophe on a scale that defied comprehension."
"The recent proposal by US president Donald J Trump presents an opportunity that must be seized to bring this tragic conflict to an end," Mr Guterres said.
"A permanent ceasefire and a credible political process are essential to prevent further bloodshed and pave the way for peace. International law must be respected."
Two years of unprecedented bloodshed in Gaza: ‘Our greatest hope is that this nightmare will end’
Tuesday 7 October 2025 16:00
,
Alex Croft
Two years on from the brutal Hamas killings of October 7 and Israel’s retaliatory bombings, life in Gaza has been a hellscape of death and famine, report Nedal Hamdouna in Gaza and chief international correspondent Bel Trew...
In pictures: Vigils around world to mark two years since 7 October Hamas attack
Tuesday 7 October 2025 15:29
,
Alex Croft
Gaza health system 'devastated' after two years of war
Tuesday 7 October 2025 14:58
,
Alex Croft
Gaza’s health services have been rocked by “devastating and fatal blows” over two years of bitter conflict, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza has said.
“What is happening in the Gaza Strip is not a humanitarian crisis, or just a passing description of the long record of Israeli occupation crimes,” the ministry said in a post on Telegram on Tuesday.
“Rather, it is a complete and deliberate collapse of the pillar of human existence represented by the health services system, which has been exposed over the course of 730 days to devastating and fatal blows that have struck the nerve of the service components and its infrastructure.”
It claimed that 51,196 children under the age of five were still suffering from severe malnutrition, with health conditions worsened by overcrowding in “forced assembly areas”.
25 of 38 hospitals were out of service, it said, with 13 “still operating partially and in difficult conditions”.
Gazans hope for quick end to war after two years of bombardment
Tuesday 7 October 2025 14:22
,
Alex Croft
The anguish of loss and a desperate wish for a quick end to the war has resounded across Gaza, after two years of devastating Israeli bombardment and invasion.
"Our families have died, our homes are gone. We pray to God that this war will end as soon as possible, today instead of tomorrow," said Sanaa Adwan in Khan Younis.
Ghassan Abu Rejeila said the war has stripped Gaza of everything that gives life meaning, whether it's a family gathering or a decent meal.
His wish to watch his children in their school uniforms pursue their education is no more. "We've lost the beautiful moments (in life). Our life has become hell upon hell. Every day, there is killing, strikes, death, martyrdom,” he told Reuters news agency.
Maha Shbeir, a doctor at Nasser Hospital, said the last two years feel like two decades of tragedy, suffering, homelessness and hunger. The war robbed people of a sense of stability, he added. After being displaced eight times, it felt as if "my soul was leaving my body."
Father of killed hostage whose body is in Gaza hits out at Netanyahu
Tuesday 7 October 2025 13:51
,
Alex Croft
Ruby Chen, the father of killed hostage Itay Chen, whose body is being held in Gaza, has hit out at Benjamin Netanyahu and others for referring to “20 hostages”.
Reference to the “20 hostages”, a figure which has been commonly mentioned in Israel, does not include the bodies of those still being held in Gaza.
“Even though we were notified [of his death], in my book, it doesn’t change his status as a hostage,” Mr Chen told The Independent.
“It’s very, very disappointing when the prime minister, even the president, says ‘20 hostages’.
“I was in the UN listening to Netanyahu speak and he started naming the hostages. He stopped after 20. I actually wanted to yell out, ‘What about Itay?’” he added.
'This moment must be seized,' says EU chief
Tuesday 7 October 2025 13:36
,
Alex Croft
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the "immediate release of all hostages and a ceasefire are now within reach".
"This moment must be seized to pave the way for a lasting peace in the region, based on the two-state solution," she said.
Qatar says many details need ironing for full agreement between Israel and Hamas
Tuesday 7 October 2025 13:20
,
Alex Croft
Qatar, which has mediated in previous attempts to secure a ceasefire along with the United States and Egypt, has said many details still have to be ironed out to reach a full agreement between Israel and Hamas.
"The plan consists of 20 points, and all of these points require practical interpretations on the ground," Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari, told a press conference.
Hamas handing over hostages seized in the 2023 attack would mean the end of the war, he said.
Hostage families demand explanation from Netanyahu over incorrect figure
Tuesday 7 October 2025 13:00
,
James Reynolds
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum demanded an explanation from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu after he said there were 46 hostages still in Gaza.
Netanyahu spoke to American commentator Ben Shapiro in an interview published on Monday about Israel’s wins over “Iran’s proxies” in the region.
With peace talks ongoing, he added: “What started in Gaza will end in Gaza with the release of 40 of our hostages - 46 actually, 20 are alive - and also the end of Hamas rule … in Gaza.”
The mistake drew fire from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, who corrected the figure to 48 and said: “They were all taken on your watch.”
“You have the opportunity to end this nightmare. It is time to begin the recovery and renewal of the people of Israel, to reach an agreement that ends the longest war in our history and brings home all 48 – the living for rehabilitation and the fallen for burial. Forty-eight. Not 40. Not 46,” a statement shared across Israeli media read.
Pope to visit Turkey and Lebanon in first trip outside of Italy
Tuesday 7 October 2025 12:45
,
James Reynolds
Pope Leo will visit Turkey and Lebanon in November in his first trip outside of Italy, the Vatican said on Tuesday.
Hostage families endorse Trump for peace prize
Tuesday 7 October 2025 12:30
,
James Reynolds
Families of hostages still held in Gaza have endorsed Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize over his efforts to secure the release of the remaining captives.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement to the Norwegian Nobel Committee on Monday that “for the first time in months, we are hopeful that our nightmare will finally be over” as Trump’s plan to end the war was tabled in Egypt.
“We are confident that [Trump] will not rest until the last hostage is brought home, the war has ended, and peace and prosperity are restored to the people of the Middle East,” they said, calling on the committee to name the U.S. president as the laureate of the award this Friday.
“Today, we write with hearts full of gratitude and a profound sense of momentous urgency, to urge you to award the Nobel Peace Prize to President Donald J. Trump.”
— Bring Them Home Now (@bringhomenow) October 6, 2025
The Families of the Hostages wrote to the Norwegian Nobel Committee today, asking the committee to award President… pic.twitter.com/4wiZzuVjts
How two years of war in Gaza have devastated lives in Gaza
Tuesday 7 October 2025 12:15
,
James Reynolds
The war between Hamas and Israel began when Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza.
In response, Israeli leaders promised a punishing offensive on the strip to annihilate Hamas and free the hostages.
Here’s a closer look at the devastation that followed, by the numbers:
One killed in Israeli drone strike in Lebanon, says health ministry
Tuesday 7 October 2025 12:00
,
James Reynolds
One person was killed and another wounded in an Israeli drone strike in Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry said on Tuesday.
The drone was said to be targeting a car in Deir Aames, a town in the south.
The IDF is yet to comment.
In pictures: People gather for a vigil in remembrance of the October 7 victims in Berlin
Tuesday 7 October 2025 11:45
,
James Reynolds
Israelis march for hostages in Jerusalem
Tuesday 7 October 2025 11:30
,
James Reynolds
Israelis marched in Jerusalem on Tuesday to call for the return of hostages still held in Gaza after two years of war.
Atalia Regev told the BBC she remembered waiting anxiously for a friend in kibbutz Be’eri to respond to texts during Hamas’ incursion.
Two years on, she says she and her partner, Bar, have always supported peace, but have lingering trust issues.
“We didn’t have any regular life for a long time. It was really, really hard,” she said.
Netanyahu 'very positive' on talks, says Trump
Tuesday 7 October 2025 11:15
,
James Reynolds
U.S. president Donald Trump assured Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains “very positive” about the ongoing indirect peace talks in Egypt.
Pressed by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on an Axios report that claimed Trump had urged Netanyahu to stop being negative, the U.S. leader said it was “not true”.
“He’s been very positive on the deal,” Trump said. “But this is a deal that, incredibly, everyone just came together. They all came together. No, Israel’s been great. They’ve all been good, Kaitlan.”
Gueterres backs Trump's peace plan
Tuesday 7 October 2025 11:00
,
James Reynolds
Ahead of the resumption of talks on Tuesday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an end to the hostilities, which have created "a humanitarian catastrophe on a scale that defied comprehension."
"The recent proposal by US President Donald J. Trump presents an opportunity that must be seized to bring this tragic conflict to an end," Guterres said.
"A permanent ceasefire and a credible political process are essential to prevent further bloodshed and pave the way for peace. International law must be respected."
'Positive signals' coming from talks, senior Palestinian official says
Tuesday 7 October 2025 10:44
,
Bel Trew
Palestinian deputy foreign minister Omar Awadallah told The Independent that there were “positive signals” coming out of the indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Sharm El-Sheikh over a deal for Gaza.
He said that we were “the closest to an agreement since January”, when the last temporary truce was reached and came into effect.
Representatives from Hamas, Israel, as well as Egypt, Qatar, and the United States are currently in Sharm El-Sheikh working on the implementation of Trump’s 20-point peace plan. So far, negotiators have been fairly tight-lipped about what exactly has been discussed.
Mr Awadallah said that top of the agenda right now was the “first part” of the plan: the release of hostages and prisoners, the entry of aid “at scale”, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and a halt to the fighting, the end to the slaughter.
For these initial stages, he said “the atmosphere is optimistic” that an agreement could be reached soon, as Trump has put pressure on a deal this week.
The issue, however, is the timeframes and a “solid action plan”.
“For [the] withdrawal of Israeli forces, we want the time frame to be quick, so that our people can be relieved and we can start the process of recovery and reconstruction. Without Israel’s withdrawal, it will be difficult,” he told The Independent from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
“But the deal needs action plans, time lines and time tables.”
One of the key concerns from the Palestinian side is Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu “playing tricks.”
“He is a master in changing agreed upon ideas, and in sabotaging any peaceful solution in the Middle East.
“The concern is without time line of withdrawal, this turns into a de facto occupation of Gaza, and also isolating Gaza, taking Gaza out of the geographical and political unity that is essential to political peace process.”
“Gaza is integral to the state of Palestine, there is no ‘people in Gaza’, no ‘Ramallah’s people’, no ‘West Bank people’, it is called the question of Palestine,” he added.
Hamas issues statement two years on from attacks
Tuesday 7 October 2025 10:40
,
James Reynolds
Hamas issued a statement on the second anniversary of the deadly October 7 attacks.
It described the time since as “two years of pain, injustice, oppression and great suffering, of heavy costs”.
Hamas criticised Israel’s attacks on “defenceless civilians”, lamenting “shameful international silence and complicity and unprecedented Arab failure”.
Gazans and Israelis mark two years of conflict
Tuesday 7 October 2025 10:30
,
James Reynolds
After two years of devastating conflict, people in Gaza and Israel spoke of their hopes for an end to the war.
Gaza resident Mohammed Dib, 49, said: “It's been two years that we are living in fear, horror, displacement and destruction. We are hoping, with these new negotiations, to reach a ceasefire and a final end to the war."
Israeli citizen Hilda Weisthal said: “It's like an open wound, the hostages, I can't believe it's been two years and they are still not home. I really hope that all the leaders will make a push and that this war will end."
Gaza health system 'devastated' after two years of war
Tuesday 7 October 2025 10:18
,
James Reynolds
Gaza’s health services have been rocked by “devastating and fatal blows” over two years of bitter conflict, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza has said.
“What is happening in the Gaza Strip is not a humanitarian crisis, or just a passing description of the long record of Israeli occupation crimes,” the ministry said in a post on Telegram on Tuesday.
“Rather, it is a complete and deliberate collapse of the pillar of human existence represented by the health services system, which has been exposed over the course of 730 days to devastating and fatal blows that have struck the nerve of the service components and its infrastructure.”
It claimed that 51,196 children under the age of five were still suffering from severe malnutrition, with health conditions worsened by overcrowding in “forced assembly areas”.
25 of 38 hospitals were out of service, it said, with 13 “still operating partially and in difficult conditions”.
Global reactions on second anniversary of October 7 attacks
Tuesday 7 October 2025 10:15
,
James Reynolds
World leaders spoke on Tuesday to call for the release of the remaining hostages and an end to the war in Gaza as Israelis marked two years since the Hamas-led October 7 attacks.
British prime minister Keir Starmer said: “Our priority in the Middle East remains the same – release the hostages. Surge aid into Gaza. And a ceasefire that can lead to a lasting and just peace as a step towards a Two-State solution.”
French president Emmanuel Macron said: “We do not forget. We stand in solidarity with all the victims, including 51 of our fellow citizens. We also think of the 48 hostages still held by Hamas. We are working tirelessly for their release. I reiterate France’s call: the release of all hostages and a ceasefire must take place without delay.”
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni said: “Two years have passed since the ignominy of the massacre carried out by Hamas terrorists against thousands of defenceless and innocent Israeli civilians, including women and children. Unspeakable crimes that make October 7 one of the darkest pages in history.”
She added: “Hamas' violence has triggered an unprecedented crisis in the Middle East. Israel’s military response has gone beyond any principle of proportionality, claiming too many innocent lives among Gaza’s civilian population. We all have a duty to do everything within our power to ensure that this precious and fragile opportunity - the peace plan presented by President Trump - succeeds."
Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: “Today we pause to honour the victims of terror. We stand firmly against hatred and violence. As talks advance under the @POTUS plan, we urge all parties to act with courage and restraint: toward a lasting ceasefire, release of all hostages and a future of peace and security for all."
Rocket launched at Israel as bombing of Gaza continues
Tuesday 7 October 2025 10:10
,
James Reynolds
The IDF reported on Tuesday that a rocket had been fired from northern Gaza into Israeli territory. No injuries were reported.
In Gaza, al-Amal hospital officials reported that a child had been killed and many Palestinians wounded in an Israeli attack.
Who are the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza?
Tuesday 7 October 2025 09:50
,
James Reynolds
Of the 251 hostages taken into Gaza on October 7, 48 people are believed to remain captive in the Palestinian territory.
Twenty of those are believed to still be alive.
After two years held by Hamas, negotiators are working to secure their release and return home, and a lasting end to the conflict.
Hamas has said it will release the remaining hostages, but still sought amendments to Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan ahead of this week’s talks.
'Talks to resume in Sharm el-Sheikh'
Tuesday 7 October 2025 09:45
,
James Reynolds
Indirect peace talks were set to resume in Egypt after a “positive” first round on Monday.
A source close to Hamas’ negotiating team told the AFP news agency that Monday’s talks were “positive” and lasted around four hours.
They said that indirect negotiations were scheduled to continue on Tuesday. Another source said they would resume in Sharm el-Sheikh, a continuation from yesterday.
130 Global Sumud Flotilla activists deported from Israel, says Jordan
Tuesday 7 October 2025 09:45
,
James Reynolds
Jordan’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that 130 activists from a host of countries had been deported from Israel to Jordan.
Activists were arriving from Bahrain, Tunisia, Algeria, Oman, Kuwait, Libya, Pakistan, Turkey, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Serbia, South Africa, Switzerland, the UK, the US and Uruguay.
Survivors and families gather at the site of the Nova festival massacre
Tuesday 7 October 2025 09:20
,
James Reynolds
Israelis marked two years since Hamas’ incursion on Tuesday, gathering at the site of the Nova festival near kibbutz Re’im where 378 people were killed and dozens captured during the attacks on October 7, 2023.
Hundreds had gathered at the memorial for a ceremony scheduled to take place on site at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. On Sunday, survivors and bereaved families had gathered at the site to share their grief.
Israelis say it is time to end the war
Tuesday 7 October 2025 09:05
,
James Reynolds
