Israel Brief: Friday, October 10
Ceasefire on the clock, courage on standby: 72 hours to bring our people home and a reminder to keep our guard up
Good erev Shabbat, friends.
The clock is running. The IDF has moved to new lines, the ceasefire is in effect, and Hamas has 72 hours to return every living hostage and as many of our dead as they can find. Joy bubbled up in Hostages Square last night. It should. We also must continue to keep our eyes open. The northern corridors remain active, Iran’s proxies are talking tough, and post-war control will be contested inch by inch.
Here’s what to watch today: the mechanics of the exchanges, any attempts by Hamas or “friends” to test the lines before Monday, and whether foreign capitals try to pre-cook Gaza’s “day after” without Jerusalem at the table. We pray for besorot tovot and a quiet Shabbat. We also remember that quiet is guarded, not gifted.
Personal note: Many of you asked for a way to both follow this coverage and go deeper. My new book, Holiday From History: The West’s Delusion of Peace and the Return of War, is exactly about weeks like this—when headlines say “peace,” and reality still demands vigilance and moral clarity. If this brief helps you cut through the noise, picking up the book is a real boost to the work. Thank you.
The War Today
Gaza ceasefire starts as IDF completes partial withdrawal; Hamas has 72 hours to return hostages
The IDF pulled back to agreed deployment lines, triggering a 72-hour clock for Hamas to release all living hostages and as many bodies as it can locate, while Israel retains control of key corridors and warns Gazans to avoid troops. A reservist was killed by a Hamas sniper hours before the ceasefire took effect; limited strikes and movement along the coastal road continued as both sides issued safety notices. Read more →
Gazans cheer news of ceasefire deal as Hamas calls it ‘fruits of tremendous sacrifice’
Gazans took to the streets after the hostage–ceasefire announcement, while Hamas and Islamic Jihad framed the pause as a victory of “resistance.” The Palestinian Authority welcomed the agreement, but Israel warned civilians not to return to northern Gaza yet as it remains an active combat zone and key details on postwar control are unresolved. Read more →
Multinational force to search for dead hostages Hamas has lost track of
Israel, the U.S., Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey will form a joint task force to locate the bodies of Israeli hostages whose locations Hamas claims it no longer knows. The agreement emerged from the Sharm el-Sheikh negotiations that produced the Trump-brokered ceasefire, after Hamas admitted it may be unable to return all remains within the 72-hour deadline. Israel believes the force will eventually recover all missing hostages, though officials estimate that up to 15 bodies may never be found. Read more →
Senior Israeli security official warns: ‘Clans that fought Hamas must not be abandoned’
A senior Israeli security official urged Israel to ensure protection and support for Gaza’s armed clans that opposed Hamas, warning that abandoning them would squander a rare opportunity to reshape the Strip after the war. He said these groups, such as the Abu Shabab militia in Rafah, should manage humanitarian aid along the border as part of any postwar framework, sending a message to regional allies that loyalty to Israel is rewarded. The official framed the ceasefire and the IDF’s current position inside Gaza as “an extraordinary achievement,” marking the start of a new strategic phase. Read more →
Inside Israel
Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square is transformed by cautious optimism — and gratitude for Trump
Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, long a symbol of mourning, erupted into dance and song as Israelis celebrated the Trump-brokered ceasefire that promises to end the Gaza war and return the remaining captives. Families, activists, and survivors are in a state of joy mixed with disbelief as they gathered with American flags and handmade thank-you signs for Trump, crediting his pressure on Israel and Arab states for making the deal happen. Amid the celebration, many voiced hope that this time peace would hold — and that the hostages’ return would finally allow the nation to breathe again. Read more →
Netanyahu may hold early elections, ‘use Gaza deal to gain support,’ Likud official says
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly considering calling early elections to capitalize on public approval of the Trump-brokered hostage deal and the broader peace initiative. The Jerusalem Post reports that Netanyahu has instructed party leadership to explore fast-track Likud primaries that could strengthen his control ahead of potential coalition challenges. The move signals a bid to consolidate political momentum and secure a renewed mandate while the ceasefire still holds. Read more →
Three human rights orgs. petition against E1 advancements
Three far-left NGOs—Ir Amim, Peace Now, and Bimkom—petitioned Israel’s Administrative Affairs Court to block construction in the E1 corridor between Jerusalem and Ma’aleh Adumim. They claim the project would “sever” east Jerusalem from Judea and Samaria and displace Arab residents. In reality, the E1 expansion is a strategic necessity: it secures the capital’s eastern flank, preserves high-ground control over the Jerusalem–Jordan Valley route, and helps ease the housing crisis while linking Ma’aleh Adumim to Jerusalem’s urban core. The petition follows ideology, not geography, and seeks to freeze vital national development for ideological reasons. Read more →
Israel and the World
Trump instructs CENTCOM to set up new command and control base in Israel – report
U.S. President Donald Trump ordered CENTCOM to establish a command center in Israel to coordinate postwar operations in Gaza. The base will oversee implementation of Trump’s 20-point plan and manage foreign involvement in the Strip, with several hundred U.S. troops participating but none stationed directly inside Gaza. A related joint Israeli-U.S.-Qatari-Egyptian task force will locate and recover the bodies of hostages still missing. Read more →
Europeans, Arabs meet to flesh out next phase in Trump Gaza plan
In Paris, Europe’s diplomats and Arab foreign ministers gathered to discuss how Gaza should be governed—without Israel in the room. The meeting, hosted by France and attended by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, aimed to “support” President Trump’s Gaza plan but looked more like a familiar exercise in imperial micromanagement. Every time outside powers have tried to redraw maps for the Middle East, they’ve sown chaos and resentment; perhaps this time they might learn from history and let Jerusalem secure its own future. Read more →
Germany expected to lift arms ban on Israel after ceasefire deal
Berlin is reportedly preparing to lift its arms embargo on Israel, imposed during the Gaza war, following a direct appeal from Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s earlier decision to block weapons transfers — justified as concern for Gaza’s civilians — had drawn backlash from within Germany’s own coalition and from Jerusalem. The reversal signals renewed security alignment between Germany and Israel as the ceasefire stabilizes. Read more →
Indonesia to block Israeli team from gymnastics world championships in Jakarta
Indonesia says it will deny visas to Israeli gymnasts for the world championships in Jakarta, citing political pressure from Muslim groups and claiming the sport’s governing body backs the move, reports The Times of Israel. The ban targets a registered Israeli squad that includes Olympic champion Artem Dolgopyat and extends Jakarta’s long pattern of excluding Israeli delegations, pushing sports into the boycott arena even as a Gaza ceasefire begins. This is discrimination dressed up as policy and a reminder that “pro-Palestinian” activism often seeks to erase Israelis from civic life altogether. Read more →
Ohana invites Trump to address the Knesset
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana formally invited President Trump to address Israel’s parliament, praising his role in the hostage-release deal and broader regional framework. Trump is slated to land Monday for a brief visit, with a Knesset speech expected ahead of Simchat Torah and ceremonies at Ben-Gurion. The invite underscores tight US–Israel coordination as the ceasefire’s first phase rolls out. Read more →
Briefly Noted
Times of Israel: An inside account details how Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner turned a Qatari apology, regional leverage, and Hamas’s hostages-as-liability problem into a 20-point plan that split hostage release from “day after” fights and produced the Sharm el-Sheikh breakthrough. Read more →
Jerusalem Post: An analysis argues that Trump’s Gaza peace framework—bringing Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt into joint mediation—gives Arab and Muslim states an unprecedented chance to shape Gaza’s postwar order and expand regional influence under the banner of reconstruction. The article frames the alignment as pragmatic cooperation among rivals rather than reconciliation, but omits how this coordination could also embolden Islamist blocs long hostile to Israel. Read more →
Algemeiner: Israelis filled Hostages Square and city centers with music and flags after the hostage–ceasefire deal, as Trump said he’d fly in when releases begin. Read more →
Jewish Chronicle: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer asked the home secretary to review and potentially toughen policing powers against “pro-Palestinian” march chants like “intifada” and “from the river to the sea,” signaling a crackdown on street incitement masquerading as protest. Read more →
Jewish Chronicle: Manchester synagogue killer Jihad al-Shamie pledged allegiance to ISIS mid-attack; his long trail of abuse and grooming failures is now under scrutiny. Read more →
Manchester Evening News: Counterterrorism police re-arrested a 30-year-old man at Manchester Airport in connection with the Yom Kippur synagogue attack in Crumpsall, where Islamist terrorist Jihad al-Shamie murdered two worshippers before being shot dead. Investigators believe the suspect withheld key information about the plot, though authorities say no further threat remains. Read more →
Israel National News: A University of Sydney staffer was suspended after hurling antisemitic abuse at a Sukkot gathering on campus. Read more →
Jewish Insider: Progressive lawmakers who have spent two years condemning Israel offered grudging acknowledgment of the ceasefire and hostage-release deal, avoiding mention of the Israeli captives held by Hamas. Their muted response highlights how ideological hostility to Israel overrides empathy even when Jewish lives are at stake. Read more →
Jewish Insider: Robert Kraft’s Foundation to Combat Antisemitism is rebranding as the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate and launching a primetime “Sunday Night Football” ad blitz, putting a clear message against Jew-hatred before millions. Read more →
JNS: Air Canada is restoring daily Toronto–Tel Aviv flights, as more carriers return to Israel routes. Read more →
Times of Israel: Jerusalem’s Sukkot season shows stark contrasts, from ad-hoc balcony sukkot in Meah Shearim to pricey “sukkah balconies” in luxury towers. Read more →
JTA: Jewish author Kyle Lukoff’s A World Worth Saving—about a Jewish trans boy and a golem who fight demons drawn from Jewish folklore—was named a finalist for the National Book Award in Young People’s Literature. Read more →
Developments to Watch
Hostage reception hub ready – The IDF finished outfitting the Re’im site with 24 private rooms, medical gear, and rapid medevac routes so returning hostages can reunite with family briefly at the compound before transfer to Ichilov, Sheba, Beilinson, or directly to Soroka for critical cases.
Dignified process for remains – For deceased hostages, engineers will first clear coffins for booby traps, a brief flag-draped ceremony with Tehillim will follow, and identification at Abu Kabir is set to take 10–48 hours, with IDF fallen processed later at Shura.
Release terms and red lines – Israel will free 250 security prisoners, 1,700 Gazans arrested after Oct. 7 not involved in the massacre, and 22 minors, return 360 bodies, and bar murder convicts from entering Israel or Yehudah v’Shomron; the PMO says Marwan Barghouti is not in the deal.
Rafah crossing and recovery – Qatar reports Rafah will reopen 72 hours after the ceasefire; heavy machinery will enter Gaza to clear rubble and help a multinational team recover hostages’ bodies alongside any living captives found.
Egypt rejects corridor presence – Cairo told Washington it will not accept a permanent Israeli footprint along the Salah al-Din corridor, a signal that border-security arrangements could become a second-stage fight. LIKELY TO ESCALATE
Interim attacks and foiled raid – Before the ceasefire went into effect, an IED wounded two IDF troops in northern Gaza, and near Khan Yunis five Hamas gunmen emerged from a tunnel toward an IDF post before a drone strike killed three and two fled; no Israelis were hurt.
Iranian axis rattling sabers – Khamenei adviser Ali Akbar Velayati warned the Gaza ceasefire could end truces in Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon, and the Houthis vowed to resume launches if fighting or blockade returns. LIKELY TO ESCALATE
Back-channel messages via Moscow – Putin said Jerusalem told him it prefers a diplomatic path on Iran’s nuclear push and does not seek war; Moscow claims it relayed that to Tehran, worth watching as pressure on Iran builds.
Trump visit logistics – In “good news” for the local traffic situation, Road 1 and Jerusalem routes will close overnight Sunday for a brief presidential visit, with a Ben-Gurion arrival expected Monday morning.
Peace force composition – A senior American official says roughly 200 soldiers, including U.S. troops, will anchor the task force supporting the Gaza stabilization mission outside the Strip.
As we head into Shabbat, hold onto two things. First, hope: by Monday we may see sons and daughters step off helicopters back onto Israeli soil. Second, steadiness: Tehran’s orbit is already probing; foreign ministers are sketching a “solution” with Israel offstage; and inside Gaza, the wrong actors will try to use a pause to re-entrench.
Shabbat shalom. May the next update carry good news, and may those returning feel the embrace of a nation that never stopped counting the days.
— Uri Zehavi, Editor of Israel Brief
Today’s Briefing Sponsored by
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Holiday From History traces how the “end of history” lulled the West into lowering its guard—then shows how to rebuild the habits that keep free nations safe: truth without euphemism, strength without apology, and memory that acts. If you want a clear lens for the 72 hours ahead and the months after, start here.
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