Protests supporting Gaza take place in Europe

Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated on Sunday.

ByDavid Brennan, Meredith Deliso, and Nadine El-Bawab

Last Updated: October 5, 2025, 1:46 PM EDT

Hamas responded Friday to President Donald Trump's proposal for peace in Gaza, as the president gave a deadline of 6 p.m. ET Sunday to sign on to the plan he unveiled earlier this week.

Hamas said it will release all remaining hostages if Israel withdraws from Gaza and "proper field conditions are met." More negotiations will need to take place to finalize the deal, which Trump unveiled Monday while hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

Any agreement could mean an end to the Israel Defense Forces' operation to take control of Gaza City, the largest urban area in the Gaza Strip.

Multiple Western nations recognized Palestinian statehood in recent weeks while also demanding that Hamas not be part of any future government.

Netanyahu said that Israel will not allow an independent Palestinian state to exist.

Key Headlines

Oct 05, 2025, 12:43 PM EDT
Trump says Gaza peace negotiations 'will last a couple of days'
Oct 04, 2025, 6:32 PM EDT
Netanyahu strikes victorious tone, says Israel 'on the verge of a great achievement'
Oct 04, 2025, 12:25 PM EDT
Trump tells Hamas 'move quickly, or else all bets will be off'

Here's how the news is developing.

Oct 04, 2025, 7:23 AM EDT

IDF offensive pause to allow Hamas to organize hostage release, official says

A senior Israeli official told ABC News on Saturday that the halt in the Israel Defense Force’s offensive activity in the Gaza Strip is intended to allow Hamas to begin organizing for the release of the hostages.

Smoke rises following Israeli army shelling in central Gaza Strip, on Oct. 4, 2025.
Abdel Kareem Hana/AP

The official said this does not represent an official ceasefire that requires Hamas to return the hostages within three days, nor the beginning of a withdrawal. The official said the IDF may make tactical adjustments for the purpose of protecting its troops.

The official added that Israel is constantly examining what is happening on the ground and will not allow Hamas to take advantage of any pause in operations, carry out last-minute attacks or to strengthen their grip on the ground.

Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas will begin on Sunday in Egypt, Israeli officials told ABC News. One official said the talks will show whether Hamas is bluffing or is ready to accept the ceasefire proposed by President Donald Trump.

-ABC News' Jordana Miller and Morgan Winsor

Oct 04, 2025, 6:26 AM EDT

Netanyahu to hold security cabinet meeting on Saturday, sources say

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a security cabinet meeting on Saturday night to discuss -- among other things -- a list of Palestinian prisoners to be released and options for Israel Defense Forces Gaza withdrawal maps, two Israeli sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

Palestinians walk on a coastal path northwest of Nuseirat refugee camp on Oct. 4, 2025.
Eyad Baba/AFP via Getty Images

-ABC News' Jordana Miller and Morgan Winsor

Oct 04, 2025, 6:20 AM EDT

Palestinian president welcomes Trump's 'significant' ceasefire efforts

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday he welcomes "Hamas' positive statements" as well as the "significant efforts made by President Trump to end the war in the Gaza Strip and move toward lasting peace," according WAFA, the official news agency of the Palestinian Authority.

This file photo shows President Donald Trump with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 3, 2017.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

"We welcome these statements as they signal a willingness to release all hostages and adopt a constructive approach during this critical stage, which requires everyone to exercise the highest level of national responsibility," Abbas said, as quoted by WAFA.

"What matters to us now is an immediate commitment to a complete ceasefire, the release of all hostages and prisoners, the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid through U.N. organizations, ensuring the prevention of displacement or annexation and the commencement of the reconstruction process," Abbas said.

-ABC News' Jordana Miller, Samy Zyara and Morgan Winsor

Oct 04, 2025, 6:05 AM EDT

66 killed in Gaza over 24 hours, health ministry says

Israeli forces killed 66 Palestinians and wounded 265 others in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, Gaza's Hamas-run Ministry of Health said Saturday afternoon.