Overview

• Egypt says Hamas envoys are expected and Israel confirms it sent a team to Cairo for indirect talks on on‑the‑ground terms and the technical details of a hostage‑prisoner exchange.
• Hamas signaled conditional acceptance of parts of the U.S. 20‑point plan, pledging to release remaining hostages while insisting on Palestinian prisoner releases, safe exchange conditions, and an immediate ceasefire.
• President Donald Trump urged Israel to stop bombing Gaza to enable safe transfers, set a short deadline for Hamas to agree, and sent Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to help finalize arrangements in Egypt.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanjahu voiced hope hostages could return in the coming days during Sukkot, said the IDF would continue to hold key positions inside Gaza, and vowed Hamas would be disarmed by diplomacy or force.
• German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is meeting leaders in Qatar and attending EU‑GCC talks in Kuwait to rally support for the plan and humanitarian access, as Hezbollah’s Naim Qassem warns the proposal is fraught with risks.