HEADLINES
Gaza Withdrawal Underway 53 Percent Remains Israeli
Trump to Meet Netanyahu and Hostage Families
EU Resumes Rafah Monitoring as Aid Flows

The time is now 10:00 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

A US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas announced in Sharm el-Sheikh begins a phased pause in Gaza, with the first stage centered on an Israeli withdrawal to agreed lines while negotiations continue on the next steps. Israel’s military says the initial withdrawal is underway and that about 53 percent of the Gaza Strip will remain under Israeli control during this opening phase. The accord ties the halt in fighting to a hostage-release process, with hostages to be brought home within 72 hours of the completion of the withdrawal, while Israel is set to free Palestinian prisoners and Gazans held since the Hamas assault on October 7, 2023.

President Trump has announced a trip to Israel on Monday to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu and the families of hostages, aligned with mediators who helped broker the breakthrough in Egypt, including Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. US involvement has been described by officials as pursuing peace through strength, aiming to secure a sustainable pause while the parties work out the details of subsequent phases. In Tel Aviv, the military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said Hamas is not the same organization as two years ago and has been defeated in every place Israel fought it, a message to Gaza residents to stay out of areas under IDF control as the withdrawal proceeds.

Internationally, the ceasefire is supported by regional actors while raising questions about security in the aftermath. The European Union is resuming a monitoring mission at Rafah, with the crossing expected to reopen on October 14 under an EU-led framework, and authorities project about 600 trucks carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza daily via other crossings. The reopening is meant to facilitate civilian movement and aid while the primary crossing remains subject to security approvals and mutual consent from Israel and Egypt. Israel’s security posture remains cautious, with officials urging restraint and insisting the transition will be managed to prevent a relapse into conflict.

On the ground in Gaza, thousands began returning to their homes as the Israeli withdrawal progressed, with residents using newly opened coastal roads and checking on damaged neighborhoods and essential services. Gazans returning home faced rubble-strewn streets, but expressed cautious relief as life, or what remains of it, begins to resume in the wake of the pause. Officials emphasize that the withdrawal and the hostage-release timetable are tied to conditions on the ground, and that the path forward will require careful coordination among Israel, Hamas, mediators, and international partners.

In Jerusalem and Washington, the ceasefire is viewed through the lens of Israel’s security needs and the objective of shaping a sustainable pause that limits Hamas’s ability to threaten Israeli civilians. Officials stress that Israel will vigilantly defend its borders and civilians, while actors outside the region press for a durable, verifiable framework to prevent renewed violence. Turkey’s leadership has warned of consequences should fighting resume, underscoring the volatile regional stakes as the truce takes hold and the region watches closely for any violation that could escalate again.

Two years after the war began, Israel’s national discourse is focused on the day after more than a thousand lives lost and immense material devastation. The ceasefire offers a pause, but it also raises hard questions about governance in Gaza, security arrangements for the long term, and the best path to prevent a return to the warfare that reshaped the region. As the clock ticks toward the hostage-release window and the next phases of the plan, the attention of Israel, its allies, and its neighbors remains fixed on whether this moment marks a turning point toward peace through strength or another crossroads that tests the endurance of both sides and the international effort backing them.

Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.
I'm Noa Levi. Stay safe and informed.
Keep in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view. Find the code and more details in the podcast description.

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