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09-10-2025
GAZA STRIP: Deadly Israeli attacks have continued across the Gaza Strip as the war reaches its two-year mark.
Officials from Israel and Hamas, as well as the mediators, meet in Egypt to discuss US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war.
At least 104 people have been killed in Gaza by Israeli forces since Friday, the day Trump called on Israel to halt its bombing campaign.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 67,173 people and wounded 169,780 since October 2023. Thousands more are believed to be buried under the rubble. A total of 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7, 2023, attacks and about 200 were taken captive.
Meanwhile, Western leaders have called for the release of the captives held in Gaza and a ceasefire on the second anniversary of the start of the war.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said vowed to continue “working with our international partners until all the hostages are home and there is lasting peace in the region”.
Irish Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris, who also holds the foreign affairs brief, said “a window now exists to end this unimaginable suffering, for both Israelis and Palestinians”. He added: “To halt the violence, return the hostages to their families and get urgently needed humanitarian aid into Gaza at scale.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz insisted that “all the hostages must be released immediately”.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement that “we must never forget the atrocities that were inflicted by Hamas” and also welcomed Trump’s plan to end the conflict.
French President Emmanuel Macron said; “I reiterate France’s call; the release of all hostages and a ceasefire must take place without delay.” He added: “Such an abomination must never happen again.”
Far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called October 7, 2023 “one of the darkest days in history” but she also said Trump’s plan “offers an opportunity that must not be wasted to achieve a permanent cessation of hostilities, bring home the hostages still in Hamas’s hands, and begin a process toward peace and security throughout the Middle East.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the “immediate release of all hostages and a ceasefire are now within reach”. She added: “This moment must be seized to pave the way for a lasting peace in the region, based on the two-state solution.”
However, Hamas outlines key demands in ceasefire talks
Hamas has detailed its main conditions in the ongoing ceasefire talks in Egypt.
Fawzi Barhoum, the group’s spokesperson, said its delegation is seeking to “overcome all obstacles” to reach an agreement that meets “the aspirations of our people in Gaza”. Barhoum listed Hamas’s key demands as;
A permanent and comprehensive ceasefire.
The complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from all of Gaza.
Unrestricted entry of humanitarian and relief aid.
The return of displaced people to their homes.
The immediate start of a full reconstruction process, supervised by a Palestinian national body of technocrats.
A fair prisoner exchange deal.
Barhoum accused Netanyahu of seeking to “obstruct and thwart” the current round of negotiations, as he had “deliberately thwarted all previous rounds”. (Int’l News Desk)
