Israel bombs Gaza as delegates arrive in Egypt for truce talks

TNA’s live coverage of the latest from the war on Gaza concludes for today. Join us again at 0800 GMT for updates from the besieged Palestinian enclave.
 

At least one member of Syria's domestic security forces and a civilian were killed Monday in bombardments in the northern city of Aleppo attributed to Kurdish forces, Syrian state television reported.

Tensions have heightened between Damascus and the semi-autonomous Kurdish administration in north and northeast Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based watchdog, separately said Syrian government forces used explosive drones in two Aleppo neighbourhoods with Kurdish majority residents, Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh.

It said communications in those districts had been cut and they were surrounded by Syrian army reinforcements.

According to the Syrian News Channel, citing a security official, "a member of the domestic security forces was killed and three others wounded in an SDF attack near the Sheikh Maqsoud district in Aleppo."

It also reported that a civilian was killed in a Kurdish bombardment.

It said "dozens of families" had fled Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh because of heavy machine-gun and mortar barrages by the SDF in that area.

Syria's SANA news agency said several wounded civilians had been taken to hospital.

Aleppo's governor, Azzam al-Gharib, on Facebook called on the city's inhabitants to stay indoors and as far away as possible from "the zones with clashes". He called on all parties involved to de-escalate the situation.

BREAKING: Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud & Ashrafieh in Aleppo have been sealed off by Turkish-backed Sultan Suleiman Shah (Amshat) & Hamza (Hamzat) Divisions — both implicated in massacres in Syria’s coast & Sweida.

Since the SDF withdrew to facilitate integration into… pic.twitter.com/urIvA09GqP

— Nadine Maenza (@nadinemaenza) October 6, 2025

Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has said that the Arab world views U.S. President Donald Trump as the “only one” capable of bringing peace to Gaza.

In an interview with the far-right outlet Breitbart, Al Thani described Trump’s recent meeting with Arab and Muslim leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly as “a very important event.”

He told Breitbart that the meeting aimed “to highlight for the president the danger for the region and that we need to put a stop to what Israel is doing.”

Al Thani warned that Israel’s actions are “not only jeopardizing the security of the region, [but] jeopardizing even the U.S. interests in the region and jeopardizing the partnerships that the U.S. has built throughout decades in that region.”

He said, “The president was very receptive. He listened to all the leaders and he wants to work together with them to find a solution to this and put an end to it. We believe that everything should start with Gaza – stopping the war in Gaza and build out from there.”

According to Breitbart, Al Thani said the issue lies not with Israel itself but with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who “is setting the stage for the region that he has no boundaries and no red lines. He will do whatever he wants wherever he wants.”

The Syrian army has redeployed along several frontlines with the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in northeast Syria, the Defence Ministry said on Monday, following a spike in tensions between the two sides.

The statement emphasized the move was not a prelude to military action, but intended to prevent repeated attacks and attempts by the Kurdish-led group to seize territory.

Witnesses said the army had earlier sealed off two districts in Aleppo city under SDF control, prompting scattered protests by residents.

Witnesses said sporadic clashes continued on the outskirts of the two Kurdish-run neighbourhoods, with residents reporting rockets fired from inside the districts hitting residential areas nearby.

One security officer was killed in an attack on a checkpoint, a security source said. Kurdish fighters associated with the SDF said they had repelled an attack by government forces.

Dozens of families in the two neighbourhoods were fleeing for safety, two residents told Reuters news agency.

Kurdish SDF spokesperson Farhad Shami accused factions belonging to the Damascus government of attempting to enter two Kurdish-held districts of Aleppo with tanks.

He denied accusations that SDF personnel had targeted checkpoints, saying the group had no forces in the two neighborhoods of Ashrafiya and Sheikh Maqsoud.

Farhad called for the lifting of what he described as a siege, warning that the government’s actions were a dangerous escalation that worsens the plight of local residents.

Jordan's King Abdullah discussed the latest developments related to U.S. 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. 

US President Donald Trump said Monday that Hamas was agreeing to "very important" issues as the Palestinian group opened indirect talks with Israel on a Gaza peace deal.

"I think we're doing very well and I think Hamas has been agreeing to things that are very important," Trump said when asked about the talks by reporters in the Oval Office.

The Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, said its fighters shelled a group of Israeli soldiers and military vehicles in the Tel al-Hawa neighbourhood, south of Gaza City, using multiple mortar rounds.

Lebanon's army chief on Monday briefed the government for the first time on its plan to disarm the group Hezbollah.

Army commander Gen. Rudolph Haikal's report came a month after the Cabinet discussed the military's plan to put all weapons under state control.

No details of his briefing were immediately shared. Information Minister Paul Morcos told reporters that the Cabinet decided to keep the plan and all discussions about it “secret.”

Hezbollah has rejected the plan, saying it won’t discuss disarmament as long as Israel continues to occupy several hills along the border and carries out almost daily strikes.

The group was badly weakened during its latest war with Israel that ended with a ceasefire in November.

The Lebanese government first aimed to disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year, but officials later said resources are too limited to meet the deadline.

The current aim is to fully clear a stretch along the Lebanon-Israel border, defined as south of the Litani river, by the end of November before moving into further phases.

The Vatican’s top diplomat has issued one of the strongest condemnations yet from the Catholic Church, denouncing Israel’s "ongoing massacre" in Gaza.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, said: "It seems clear that the war waged by the Israeli army to eliminate Hamas militants ignores the fact that it faces a defenseless, exhausted people in a land whose buildings have been destroyed."

Speaking to Vatican media, Parolin added: "It seems clear that the international community is powerless, and that countries capable of influence have done nothing so far to stop the massacre."

Traditionally, the Vatican adopts a cautious approach in conflicts, avoiding public statements and working discreetly through diplomatic channels.

However, under Pope Leo XIV — who succeeded Pope Francis in May — the Church has become more outspoken in its criticism of Israel’s assault on Gaza.

Parolin said, "It is not enough for the international community to say that what is happening is unacceptable and then allow it to continue. It must raise serious questions about the legitimacy of the continued supply of weapons to the parties that are being used against civilians." He did not identify any countries by name.

Israeli forces have stormed the Bziq community north of Tubas in the occupied West Bank, according to the Wafa news agency.

Soldiers reportedly informed the principal of the local school that it would cease operations after today.

In a separate report, Wafa said Israeli troops and settlers also raided the Al-Tahadi School in Khirbet Ibziq, a nearby village northeast of Tubas, while students and staff were still on site.

Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, has expressed deep concern over the welfare of four Scottish nationals detained by Israel last week while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, calling for their “immediate return.”

The detainees have been identified by Scottish lawmakers as Jim Hickey, Margaret Pacetta, Yvonne Ridley, and Sid Khan.

Speaking to Bauer Media, Swinney said: “I’m very concerned about the wellbeing of the individuals who are part of the flotilla that are now being held in Israel.”

He added that the Scottish government is urging the UK government to intervene, while London continues to engage with Israeli officials regarding the detentions.

Authorities in the northern Italian city of Bologna have banned a pro-Palestinian demonstration planned for Tuesday, citing the risk of unrest, following days of protests and clashes with police across Italy, a local representative of the Interior Minister said.

The Giovani Palestinesi (Palestinian Youth) Italia group had scheduled demonstrations in the cities of Bologna and Turin to mark the second anniversary of a Hamas militant attack in Israel that killed 1,200 people.

"The demonstration will be absolutely prohibited," Enrico Ricci, the local prefect in Bologna, told reporters, as local authorities fear possible clashes after violence flared in Rome at the weekend.

Giovani Palestinesi confirmed on Instagram that they planned to try to press ahead with a gathering despite the ban.

An Israeli advocacy group campaigning for the release of captives in Gaza on Monday called for US President Donald Trump to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his "determination to bring peace" to the region.

In a letter sent to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Trump made "possible what many said was impossible".

"We strongly urge you to award President Trump the Nobel Peace Prize because he has vowed he will not rest and will not stop until every last hostage is back home," the forum said in a statement, citing the letter.

"At this very moment, President Trump's comprehensive plan to release all remaining hostages and finally end this terrible war is on the table," it added.

"In this past year, no leader or organisation has contributed more to peace around the world than President Trump," the forum said.

The call comes as high-stakes negotiations between Israel and Hamas are set to begin later on Monday in Egypt, based on a 20-point plan announced by Trump last week

The Israel Premier-Tech cycling team, which was beset by protests against its participation in cycling races, said on Monday it was changing its name to move away from an "Israeli identity".

"The decision has been made to rename and rebrand the team, moving away from its current Israeli identity," said Canadian-Israeli billionaire Sylvan Adams in a statement that also said the owner would 'step back' from the team.

Negotiators from Israel and Hamas began indirect discussions in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh on Monday for a hostage-prisoner exchange and Gaza ceasefire, Egyptian state-linked media reported.

Al-Qahera News, which is linked to state intelligence, said the delegations "are discussing preparing ground conditions for the release of detainees and prisoners", in line with a proposal from US President Donald Trump to end the war in Gaza.

"Egyptian and Qatari mediators are working with both sides to establish a mechanism" for the exchange, they added.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke on the phone with Israel's President Isaac Herzog on Monday and expressed hope that an agreement on the release of the hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza could be reached within the next few days, a German government spokesperson said.

The talks in Egypt must now lead to a swift agreement, and Hamas should lay down its arms, the spokesperson said. 

The European Union is seeking a role in US President Donald Trump's transitional authority for the Gaza Strip, its top diplomat Kaja Kallas told reporters on Monday.

"Yes we feel that Europe has a great role and we should be also on board with this," foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said, when asked if the EU wanted to take part in Trump's "Board of Peace".

Delegates from Hamas and Israel arrived in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh on Monday, an airport source told AFP, ahead of indirect talks aimed at ending the Gaza war.

The negotiations mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States are set to discuss the details of a proposal by US President Donald Trump for a prisoner-hostage exchange and a ceasefire in Gaza.

The Vatican's top diplomat sharply criticised Israel's "ongoing massacre" in Gaza in comments published on Monday - one of the Catholic Church's strongest condemnations of Israel's war in the Palestinian enclave.

In an interview, Cardinal Pietro Parolin also called those attacks "inhuman and indefensible" and urged Hamas to free remaining captives.

"Those who are attacked have a right to defend themselves, but even legitimate defence must respect the principle of proportionality," said Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state and one of Pope Leo's top deputies.

"The war waged by the Israeli army to eliminate Hamas militants disregards the fact that it is targeting a largely defenceless population, already pushed to the brink, in an area where buildings and homes are reduced to rubble," he said.

"It is ... clear that the international community is, unfortunately, powerless and that the countries truly capable of exerting influence have so far failed to act to stop the ongoing massacre," Parolin told the Vatican's media outlet.

Slovakia has provided transport for nine activists detained in Israel to Bratislava on Monday, the foreign ministry said, adding the citizens were from the Netherlands, Canada and United States.

One Slovak citizen is also on the plane, the ministry said.

Israel said earlier on Monday that 171 activists from the Gaza aid flotilla, including climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, were deported to Greece and Slovakia.

Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz has threatened to pull the country out of the Eurovision singing competition if Israel is not allowed to participate.

A European Broadcasting Union vote set to take place in November on the matter after several countries said they will withdraw if Israel is not ousted.

"If Israel is excluded, I would support not taking part," he told German talk show host Caren Miosga on Sunday, according to local media.

Calling the debate on whether to ban Israel "scandalous," Merz said that "Israel belongs in Eurovision".

The Red Cross said on Monday it stood ready to help bring captives held in Gaza back to their families in Israel and deliver aid into the Gaza Strip.

"Our teams are ready to act as a neutral humanitarian intermediary to help bring hostages and detainees back to their families," said Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The ICRC insisted that humanitarian aid needed to resume "at full capacity" and be distributed safely to people wherever they were in the Gaza Strip.

The Geneva-based humanitarian organisation said it had facilitated the release of 148 captives and 1,931 detainees since October 2023. It has also facilitated the return of human remains.

Israel said it deported on Monday 171 more activists who were detained while taking part in an aid flotilla bound for Gaza, including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg.

The foreign ministry said in a post on X that "171 additional provocateurs from the Hamas-Sumud flotilla, including Greta Thunberg, were deported today from Israel to Greece and Slovakia," adding the deportees were citizens of several countries, including Greece, Italy, France, and the United States.

At least two people have been killed and one wounded in Lebanon after an Israeli drone struck a vehicle travelling to the southern town of Zebdine, the country's Health Ministry said.

Italy's ITA Airways will extend the suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv until the end of the year, it said on Monday.

The decision also concerns two flights scheduled for New Year's Day 2026, the company, part of the Lufthansa group, said in a statement.

Israel's two-year-old war on Gaza, which has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, has led to several suspensions of flight connections.

ITA's services to and from Israel had been due to resume on 2 November. "Passengers can either have their flight rebooked at a later date or refunded," the airline said. 

An Iranian court on Monday announced the acquittal of Lennart Monterlos, a French-German national accused of espionage and arrested in June during the war between Iran and Israel.

"The Revolutionary Court, taking into account legal principles and doubts about the crime, has issued a verdict of acquittal of the accused, although according to the law, the prosecutor has the right to object to the verdict," the judiciary's Mizan Online website reported.

Monterlos, 19, was arrested on June 16 in the southern city of Bandar Abbas while cycling alone across Iran, on the third day of the war between Iran and Israel.

An Israeli settler has reportedly ran over a Palestinian woman and her two children near Hebron, occupied West Bank, on Monday.

Local witnesses said that the woman and children sustained multiple injuries and bruises after the settler rammed into them in the Zif area, at the northern entrance to Yatta.

The victims were rushed by Red Crescent crews to the Hebron Governmental Hospital for medical treatment, the Palestinian new agency Wafa said.

Nine members of the Gaza aid flotilla arrived home in Switzerland on Sunday after being deported by Israel, with some alleging they had been subject to inhumane conditions whilst in detention there, the group representing them said.

Israel did not immediately comment on the new allegations. Its foreign ministry previously described reports that detainees had been mistreated as "complete lies". Nineteen Swiss nationals, including the former mayor of Geneva Remy Pagani, were aboard boats in the flotilla of dozens of vessels that tried to deliver aid to Israeli-blockaded Gaza.

They were taken into custody on Wednesday by Israeli forces who intercepted the flotilla at sea and taken to Israel's Ktzi'ot prison, according to the Waves of Freedom flotilla group.

Nine of the group returned to Geneva on Sunday afternoon.

"The participants condemned the inhumane detention conditions and the humiliating and degrading treatment they suffered upon their arrest and incarceration," a statement by the group said. Israel said on Sunday that the legal rights of the activists were being "fully upheld", that no physical force was used and all detainees were given access to water, food, and restrooms.

Iran does not plan to immediately resume talks with European nations on its nuclear programme after they reimposed sanctions, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday.

"We have no plans for negotiations at this stage," spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said, adding that Iran was examining the "consequences and implications" of the restart of sanctions initiated by France, Britain, and Germany.

At least 1,152 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, Israel’s Defence Ministry said.

Figures provided by the ministry show that around 42 percent of these soldiers were under the age of 21, and encompassing soldiers, police officers, Shin Bet and special operations forces.

Iran supports any initiative that "ends the killing in Gaza", Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday, in response to US Donald Trump's plan for Gaza.

Baghaei cautioned, however, that the plan had dangerous dimensions and risked obstruction from Israel, adding that any decision on the plan is up to the Palestinians.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi praised US President Donald Trump's Gaza plan on Monday, as negotiators from Hamas, Israel and the United States converged on Egypt to discuss a hostage-prisoner exchange and ceasefire.

"I can only extend my praise and appreciation for US President Donald Trump," he said in an address, adding: "A ceasefire, the return of prisoners and detainees, the reconstruction of Gaza and the launch of a peaceful political process that leads to the establishment and recognition of the Palestinian state means we are on the right path to lasting peace and stability."

Israel will on Monday return the remaining 28 Spanish detainees from a flotilla carrying pro-Palestinian activists and aid to war-torn Gaza after 21 others arrived at the weekend, Spain's foreign minister said.

"Today, the group of 28 Spanish flotilla members who remain detained in Israel will leave Israel," Jose Manuel Albares told Catalunya Radio.

The minister declined to provide further details for privacy reasons but said: "We are working so that they all arrive in Spain as soon as possible."

"The forecast is that today there will no longer be any Spaniards in jail in Israel," Albares said.

Dozens of other activists of various nationalities, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, were also due to leave Israel on Monday.

Most, if not all, will be flown to Greece, where they will be able to get flights to their home countries, their respective governments said on Sunday.

Israel released another 21 of the 49 Spanish detainees on Sunday.

Israeli forces shot and injured a Palestinian man and detained four others on Monday from the city of Tubas and the Far'a refugee camp, in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Wafa agency.

The director of the Palestinian Prisoner's Society (PPS) in Tubas said that the Israeli army detained siblings Louay, Qusay, and Mahmoud Majed Sawafta after raiding their parents' home in Tubas.

They also detained Suleiman al-Shawish after raiding his parents' home in the Far'a refugee camp, south of the city. Their father was also shot.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Monday that ongoing attempts to end the Gaza war were the most promising since its beginning two years ago.

"For the first time in two years, it is not just about a ceasefire, but about a viable political solution. Israeli, Arab and Palestinian actors now share ideas on how things can continue in the Gaza Strip," the minister told German public broadcaster ARD.

Hamas officials arrived in Egypt on Sunday ahead of talks with Israel that the U.S. hopes will lead to a halt in fighting and the freeing of hostages in Gaza.