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Donald Trump has said that all sides in the Middle East are “cheering at one time” as he flies there ahead of Hamas’ expected release of the Israeli hostages.
Speaking to reporters as he boarded Air Force One on Sunday, the US president said “that’s never happened before”, adding that his trip to Israel and Egypt is going to be a “very special event”.
Meanwhile, Israel has warned against “any sick displays by Hamas” during the release of hostages, which a spokeswoman said is expected to take place early Monday morning.
“We are expecting all 20 of our living hostages to be released together at one time to the Red Cross and transported among six to eight vehicles without any sick displays by Hamas,” spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian said.
But if Hamas decides to free the hostages any earlier, “we will be ready to receive them”, she added. Palestinian detainees and prisoners will be released once the hostages have crossed into Israel.
The ceasefire, which came into place on Friday morning, has seen Palestinians returning to their homes, which have been flattened by Israeli bombardment. Hundreds of bodies have been found under the rubble.
Trump will be joined by world leaders, including UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron, at a ceasefire summit in Egypt on Monday, seeking to secure the fragile truce in Gaza, which has entered its third day.
Watch: Moment Tel Aviv crowd boos as US envoy Witkoff thanks Netanyahu at Hostages Square rallyTel Aviv crowd boos as US envoy Witkoff thanks Netanyahu at Hostages Square rally
Alex Croft12 October 2025 23:00
Trump says ‘all sides cheering’ as he flies to Israel
The Independent’s Washington DC Correspondent John Bowden reports:
Donald Trump has said that all sides are “cheering at one time” .
He told reporters on board Air Force One: “They had 500,000 people yesterday and today, in Israel, and also the Muslim and Arab countries are all cheering. Everybody is cheering at one time. That’s never happened before.”
Tara Cobham12 October 2025 22:33
Trump says he is ‘not worried about anything’ as he flies to Israel
The Independent’s Washington DC Correspondent John Bowden reports:
Donald Trump has said he is “not worried about anything”.
As he flies to Israel on board Air Force One, the US president told reporters: “I’m not worried about anything. I think we have a great deal, and it’s a great deal for everybody. You know, a great deal is a deal, where everybody is happy, and every country, they’re dancing in the streets, that’s a great deal. It’s a unique, a unique period in time.”
Tara Cobham12 October 2025 22:30
Trump says he would like to go to Gaza as he leaves US for Middle East
The Independent’s Washington DC Correspondent John Bowden reports:
Donald Trump has said he would like to go to Gaza as he left the US for his trip to the Middle East.
When asked about going to the Strip, the US president told reporters on board Air Force One: “I would, yeah. I’d be proud to….I’d like to do it. I’d like to put my feet on it, at least.”
Tara Cobham12 October 2025 22:28
German deputy leader signals lifting curbs of arms exports to Israel
Germany’s Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil on Sunday signalled his government would lift restrictions on supplying weapons to Israel that were announced in August as a rebuke to Israel’s expanding military operations in Gaza.
The remarks by Klingbeil to German broadcaster ARD on Sunday evening suggested a policy shift following the Gaza peace plan, with a ceasefire holding between Israel and Hamas for a third day ahead of a peace summit in Egypt on Monday.
“We will reassess the situation,” Klingbeil said about the weapons exports.
Germany is Israel’s second biggest weapons supplier after the US, and has long been one of its staunchest supporters, principally because of historical guilt for the Nazi Holocaust – a policy known as the “Staatsraison”.
In August, however, Germany suspended exports of weaponry that could be used in the Gaza Strip because of Israel’s plan to expand its operations there – the first time united Germany had acknowledged denying military support to its long-time ally. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to travel to Egypt to participate in the signing ceremony for the peace plan.
Tara Cobham12 October 2025 22:23
Trump says ‘war is over’ when asked about Gaza
Donald Trump has said the “war is over” when asked about Gaza.
The US president also promised “it’s going to be fine” and outlined that a “board of peace” will be set up quickly for the Strip, which he described as “like a demolition site”.
Displaced Palestinians inspect the remains of their destroyed homes in Gaza City on Sunday (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Tara Cobham12 October 2025 22:22
Canadian PM Carney to head to Egypt for summit on ending war in Gaza
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt for a world leaders’ summit on ending Israel’s war in Gaza, his office said on Sunday.
Tara Cobham12 October 2025 22:06
UK pledges $27 million in latest aid package for Gaza
Britain will provide a £20 million ($27 million) aid package to deliver water, sanitation and hygiene services in Gaza, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Sunday, as he arrived in Egypt for a world leaders’ summit on ending the conflict.
Britain said the funding would be delivered through UNICEF, the World Food Programme and the Norwegian Refugee Council and was designed to reach those facing famine, malnutrition and disease.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas held in Gaza for a third day on Sunday – part of the first phase of an agreement to end the war after two years.
Britain said it would also host a three-day summit on the reconstruction of Gaza that would include international government representatives, private sector and development finance representatives, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank.
Britain said this financial year it had given £74 million in humanitarian support to Palestine, which it formally recognised as a state last month.
Tara Cobham12 October 2025 22:05
Starmer arrives in Sharm El Sheikh ahead of world leaders’ summit on ending Gaza war
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has arrived in Sharm El Sheikh.
A world leaders’ summit on ending the Gaza war is set to be held in the Egyptian city on Monday.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrives in Sharm El Sheikh ahead of a world leaders’ summit on ending the Gaza war (Getty Images)
Tara Cobham12 October 2025 22:03
Trump seeking return to Abraham Accords after Gaza ceasefire
The White House has signalled that Donald Trump is looking to quickly return attention to building on a first-term effort known as the Abraham Accords, which forged diplomatic and commercial ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.
A permanent agreement in Gaza would help pave the path for Trump to begin talks with Saudi Arabia as well Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country, toward normalizing ties with Israel, according to a senior Trump administration official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity.
Such a deal with Saudi Arabia, the most powerful and wealthy Arab state, has the potential to reshape the region and boost Israel’s standing in historic ways.
But brokering such an agreement remains a heavy lift as the kingdom has said it won’t officially recognize Israel before a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
ORIENTE MEDIO-TRUMP (AP)
Alex Croft12 October 2025 22:02