Overview

• Indirect negotiations in Egypt advanced preliminary understandings on phased hostage exchanges and a temporary ceasefire, but Hamas is pressing for an immediate Israeli pullout and the release of high‑profile prisoners such as Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Sa’adat.
• Hamas marked the anniversary with language praising the 2023 attacks, a move Israeli officials called provocative, as the IDF raised alert levels for Sukkot and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is close to ending the war.
• Washington’s 20‑point plan, carried by envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, seeks hostage releases, a ceasefire and Gaza governance arrangements; reports say Hamas rejects disarmament and an international administration led by Tony Blair.
• Italy placed Jewish sites under heightened protection and banned a pro‑Palestinian rally in Bologna, with Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi citing very high vigilance, while President Sergio Mattarella condemned the 2023 massacre and warned against antisemitism.
• The Italian Red Cross reported more than 66,000 deaths in Gaza and violations of international humanitarian law, and UN chief António Guterres urged the immediate release of remaining hostages and a halt to the humanitarian catastrophe.