The Times of Israel is liveblogging Monday’s events as they unfold.
Trump says he has ‘verbal guarantees’ that Gaza deal won’t fall through
US President Donald Trump tells reporters aboard Air Force One that he has “guarantees” from both Israel and Hamas, as well as from other key regional players about the initial phase of the ceasefire and hostage release deal, and the future stages.
“We have a lot of verbal guarantees, and I don’t think they’re going to want to disappoint me,” Trump said.
The Republican leader says that his relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “very good,” adding: “I had some disputes with him and they were quickly settled.”
Trump says he would eventually like to visit Gaza itself, without saying when such a difficult security challenge would be possible.
“I would be proud to,” Trump said. “I’d like to put my feet on it at least.”
A new governing body for devastated Gaza — which Trump himself will head under his own plan — would be established “very quickly,” he adds.
But he appears to take a step back over his plans to involve former British prime minister Tony Blair, a controversial choice in the Middle East because of his role in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
“I’ve always liked Tony, but I want to find out that he’s an acceptable choice to everybody,” Trump says.
Report: Criminal who raped, murdered teen boy in 1989 due to be released as part of Gaza deal
A Palestinian prisoner convicted of the 1989 rape and murder of an Israeli teenager is set to be released from prison as part of the ceasefire and hostage release deal, the Haaretz daily reports, despite the court ruling at the time that the crime was not an act of terrorism.
In April 1989, 13-year-old Oren Baharami, from Bat Yam in central Israel, was lured to an abandoned room in the Armenian Monastery in Jaffa by Gaza resident Ahmed Mahmed Jameel Shahada.
Shahada and an accomplice then raped and murdered the teen and left his body in the monastery, where it was found days later.
The murder was deemed to have been criminally motivated, meaning that it was not an act of terror carried out for nationalistic reasons, and Shahada was sentenced to life in prison.
Despite not being charged with terrorism, Haaretz reports that Shahada was deemed eligible for release under the ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas, which will see 250 Palestinian security prisoners walk free in exchange for the 48 hostages held by terror groups in Gaza.
The report notes that on the list of prisoners to be freed, Shahada is the only prisoner without any known link to a terror organization.
Speaking to the news outlet, Baharami’s mother says she is struggling to understand the decision to release her son’s murderer.
“The murder wasn’t recognized as terrorism, and over the years, no one ever updated us,” she tells Haaretz. “It takes my breath away.”
Government holds late-night telephone vote to approve last-minute changes to list of Palestinian prisoners due for release
The government held an “urgent” telephone vote a short while ago, Hebrew media reports, to approve last-minute changes to the list of Palestinian prisoners due to be released in exchange for the hostages in just a few hours.
According to Channel 12, two prisoners on the list were found to be ineligible for release — due to one of them already having been released and the other having ties to Fatah rather than Hamas. Instead, the ministers were asked to approve adding two Hamas-affiliated prisoners in their place, neither of whom is serving a life sentence.
Other minor changes were also made to the list of Gazans arrested since October 7 who are eligible for release, the report says, including removing seven minors from the list and replacing them with seven other Gazans, including two women.
World Central Kitchen prepares dinner for families of hostages as they await loved ones’ return
Volunteers with the World Central Kitchen organization prepared dinner for the families of the hostages on Sunday night as they anxiously awaited the return of their loved ones, who are due to be released from Gaza in the morning, after more than two years in captivity.
The organization’s founder, chef José Andrés, shares images on X of the preparations for the dinner, along with his hopes for peace in the region.
“The people in Gaza and Israel want peace, respecting each other…is the only way!” he writes. “Lets hope this is a new beginning for all!”
The @WCKitchen team were busy prepping dinner for the hostage families waiting for the loved ones to return home….#ChefsForIsrael people in Gaza and Israel wants peace, respecting each other….is the only way! lets hope this is a new beginning for all! What is good for me must… pic.twitter.com/lVfT0FqENd
— Chef José Andrés ????️???????? (@chefjoseandres) October 12, 2025
The WCK, which operates in crisis areas worldwide, has been active in both Israel and Gaza since the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault and the outbreak of war in the Palestinian enclave.
It briefly suspended operations in Gaza for a month last year, when the IDF struck a WCK convoy by mistake, killing seven aid workers.
Trump, aboard Air Force One, declares twice that the Gaza war ‘is over,’ adds: ‘You understand that?’
US President Donald Trump says that the war in Gaza is “over,” soon after boarding Air Force One en route to Israel to celebrate the ceasefire and hostage release deal, and later to Egypt for a summit on Gaza.
It is put to him by a reporter on the plane that “Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, has not gone so far as to say the war is over. In your view, is the war between Israel and Hamas over?”
Trump responds instantly and firmly: “The war is over,” he says. “The war is over. Ok. You understand that?”
https://twitter.com/TheBelaaz/status/1977488608383918468
Trump is accompanied on his visit to the region by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, along with a host of other high-ranking administration officials.
Netanyahu said in a video address earlier this evening that the “campaign is not over.” The Israeli government, approving the “first phase” of Trump’s Gaza peace plan overnight Thursday-Friday, did not vote to end the war.
Red Cross denies reports that it met with hostages in Gaza, has information about their wellbeing
The Red Cross denies reports that its representatives had already met with hostages in the Gaza Strip this evening and reported back that some were in serious condition.
“We are in continuous contact with all parties in preparation for the hostage return operation,” the Red Cross says in statement. “Contrary to reports, we have not received or transmitted information regarding the medical condition of the hostages.”
The 20 living hostages are set to be handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross early Monday morning, and will then be brought to IDF troops in Gaza to be escorted out of the Strip.
Trump takes off from US, says, ‘Everybody’s cheering at one time – that’s never happened before’
US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, taking off for Israel ahead of the hostage releases tomorrow and a multinational summit in Egypt on ending the war in Gaza, attended by many Western, Muslim and Arab countries, but not Israel.
“Everybody’s very excited about this moment in time. This is a very special event,” he tells reporters before entering the plane.
“There are 500,000 people yesterday and today in Israel,” he says, presumably referring to a mass rally for the hostages last night in Tel Aviv at which US Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff spoke and was applauded. The organizers of the rally claimed half a million attended.
“And also, the Muslim and Arab countries are all cheering. Everybody’s cheering at one time. That’s never happened before,” Trump says. “Usually, if you have one cheering, the other isn’t. This is the first time everybody is amazed, and they’re thrilled, and it’s an honor to be involved, and we’re gonna have an amazing time, and it’s gonna be something that’s never happened before.”