Greta Thunberg lands in Greece among expelled Gaza flotilla activists
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg landed in Greece on Monday alongside scores of fellow campaigners expelled from Israel after trying to ship aid to Gaza, AFP journalists saw.
The 22-year-old climate campaigner was one of hundreds of people who had boarded a flotilla that tried to break through an Israeli blockade of the war-stricken territory.
Thunberg and 160 others landed at Athens International Airport, where crowds of activists welcomed them.
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg arrives at the Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport in Athens, Monday, October 6, 2025, after being deported from Israel for taking part in a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. © Petros Giannakouris, AP
She called the Global Sumud Flotilla “the biggest ever attempt to break Israel’s illegal and inhumane siege by sea”.
“That this mission has to exist is a shame,” she added, urging the world to act to prevent Israel’s “genocide” of the Palestinians.
“We are not even seeing the bare minimum from our governments,” Thunberg said.
White House working hard on proposed Gaza deal, White House says
The Trump administration is working hard to advance as quickly as possible a proposed plan to end the conflict in Gaza, with technical discussions underway, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on Monday.
Mekelberg: ‘Not many trust Netanyahu, he keeps changing narrative to suit personal, political needs’
Israeli and Hamas officials are set to hold indirect talks at an Egyptian resort Monday on a US-drafted peace plan to end the ruinous war in Gaza on the eve of its second anniversary. Many uncertainties remain about the plan presented by US President Donald Trump last week, including the disarmament of the militant group, a key Israeli demand, and the future governance of Gaza. Trump is seeking an agreement on Gaza, which he has indicated could pave the way for a revamped Middle East peace process that could reshape the region. For deeper analysis, Genie Godula welcomes Yossi Mekelberg, Senior Consulting Fellow at MENAP, Chatham House.
Who is Israel’s top negotiater Ron Dermer?
Israel’s top negotiator in the Gaza truce talks, Ron Dermer, is a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but families of hostages say he has been ineffective in previous negotiations.
The 54-year-old Miami Beach native was appointed by Netanyahu in February to lead the talks, despite being little known to most Israelis.
“He’s a mystery for the Israeli public,” said Gayil Talshir, a political science professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Dermer’s nomination drew immediate criticism over his lack of military experience, his rare appearances on Hebrew-language media, and what some describe as his limited command of the country’s language and culture.
A father of five who renounced his US citizenship after immigrating to Israel in the 1990s, Dermer wields such influence over the prime minister that he is often described as Israel’s “de facto foreign minister”, Talshir said.
Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer waits before a joint press conference of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin, in Washington, DC, US, September 29, 2025. © Jonathan Ernst, Reuters
Over 150 Gaza aid flotilla detainees land in Greece
Greece’s foreign ministry said 161 nationals from 16 European countries landed in Athens on Monday after being expelled by Israel for taking part in a Gaza aid flotilla.
Israel on Monday deported more activists who were on the flotilla bound for the devastated Palestinian territory, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.
The 45-vessel flotilla had been aiming to break an Israeli blockade to deliver aid to Gaza, where the United Nations says famine has taken hold after two years of devastating conflict.
“A special repatriation flight landed safely in Athens carrying the 27 Greek citizens who took part in the ‘Global Sumud Flotilla’,” the Greek foreign ministry said in a statement.
“This flight also facilitated the return of 134 nationals from 15 European countries,” it added, without elaborating.
Indirect Gaza talks begin between Hamas and Israel in Egypt, according to state-linked media
Delegations from Hamas and Israel began indirect talks in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh on ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza, Egyptian state-linked media reported.
Al-Qahera News, which is linked to state intelligence, said the delegations “are discussing preparing ground conditions for the release of detainees and prisoners”, in line with a proposal from US President Donald Trump to halt hostilities.
“Egyptian and Qatari mediators are working with both sides to establish a mechanism” for the exchange of hostages held in Gaza for the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, they added.
German foreign minister says first phase of Trump’s Gaza plan achievable by next week
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said that the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s plans to halt the war in Gaza must be achieved by the start of next week at the latest but added that all the other issues would need time.
The first phase aims at a ceasefire, release of hostages and prisoners, restraint in the military conflict and bringing in supplies to Gaza – all of which are feasible, said Wadephul.
“All other issues are very complicated and, indeed, that is why they also need time,” said Wadephul at a press conference in Tel Aviv.
“We must not abandon all diplomatic efforts, but I would like to focus now on taking this first decisive step together.”
Israeli hostage families want Nobel Peace Prize for Trump
An Israeli advocacy group campaigning for the release of hostages in Gaza called for US President Donald Trump to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his “determination to bring peace” to the region.
In a letter sent to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Trump made “possible what many said was impossible”.
“We strongly urge you to award President Trump the Nobel Peace Prize because he has vowed he will not rest and will not stop until every last hostage is back home,” the forum said in a statement, citing the letter.
“At this very moment, President Trump’s comprehensive plan to release all remaining hostages and finally end this terrible war is on the table,” it added.
“In this past year, no leader or organisation has contributed more to peace around the world than President Trump,” the forum said.
EU wants to be part of Gaza transitional body
The European Union is seeking a role in US President Donald Trump’s transitional authority for the Gaza Strip, its top diplomat Kaja Kallas told reporters on Monday.
“Yes we feel that Europe has a great role and we should be also on board with this,” foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said, when asked if the EU wanted to take part in Trump’s “Board of Peace”.
The EU is a major aid donor to the Palestinians and has ties with both the Palestinian Authority and Israel, Kallas pointed out.
“I think Europe should be not only a payer, but we should also be a player,” she said on the sidelines of an EU-Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Kuwait.
Slovak government plane transporting activists detained by Israel
Slovakia has provided transport for nine activists detained in Israel to Bratislava, the foreign ministry said, adding the citizens were from the Netherlands, Canada and United States.
One Slovak citizen is also on the plane, the ministry said.
Israel said earlier on Monday that 171 activists from the Gaza aid flotilla, including climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, were deported to Greece and Slovakia.
Hamas, Israel delegations arrive in Sharm El-Sheikh for Gaza talks: airport source
Delegates from Hamas and Israel arrived in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh on Monday, an airport source told AFP, ahead of indirect talks aimed at ending the Gaza war.
The negotiations mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States are set to discuss the details of a proposal by US President Donald Trump for a prisoner-hostage exchange and a ceasefire in Gaza.
Vehicle drive on the main road in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where Israeli and Hamas officials are set to hold indirect talks, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. © Ahmed Hassan, AP
Israeli strike on Lebanon kills couple
An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon killed a husband and wife on Monday, including a man who lost his eyesight in Israel’s pager attack against Hezbollah last year, according to Lebanese state media.
Israel has kept up attacks on Lebanon, usually saying it is targeting Hezbollah operatives or sites, despite a November ceasefire following more than a year of hostilities with the Iran-backed group.
It has also kept troops in five areas of south Lebanon that it deems strategic.
Israel did not immediately comment on the strike.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) identified the man as Hassan Atwi, who was wounded and lost his sight when Israel blew up hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah members last year.
His wife, Zainab Raslan who was driving, was also killed..
Who is Hamas chief negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya?
Khalil Al-Hayya, the senior Hamas official who survived an Israeli raid on Qatar last month, was heading back to indirect talks with Israeli counterparts over President Donald Trump’s plan to end the Gaza War.
Hayya, who lost a son in the current Gaza war and two sons in previous conflicts, has been based with other Hamas leaders in Doha.
He has become increasingly influential in the militant group as other top Hamas officials have been killed in Israeli strikes, among them Ismail Haniyeh on a visit to Iran and Yahya Sinwar in the Gaza Strip.
On Monday, he was in Sharm el-Sheikh for indirect talks with Israel on Trump’s 20-point plan that will include exchanging Israeli hostages in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Hamas politburo member Khalil al-Hayya attends a news conference in Damascus, Syria October 19, 2022. © Yamam al Shaar, Reuters
Israeli and Hamas officials meet in Egypt sparking hope of Gaza peace deal
Israeli and Hamas officials are meeting in an Egyptian resort on Monday for indirect negotiations on a US peace plan for Gaza. The talks will include the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces as well as the release of hostages held in Gaza, in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli detention, according to a statement from Hamas. US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are also expected to join the talks. FRANCE 24’s correspondent Noga Tarnopolsky reports from Jerusalem.
Israel says Greta Thunberg among 171 more Gaza flotilla activists deported
Israel said it deported on Monday 171 more activists who were detained while taking part in an aid flotilla bound for Gaza, including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg.
The foreign ministry said in a post on X that “171 additional provocateurs from the Hamas-Sumud flotilla, including Greta Thunberg, were deported today from Israel to Greece and Slovakia”.
It added that the deportees were citizens of several countries, including Greece, Italy, France and the United States.
Photos shared with the post showed Thunberg alongside two other women walking through Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport wearing the grey tracksuits used in Israeli prisons.
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg walks through Ramon International Airport before her deportation flight, near Eilat, Israel, October 6, 2025 in this handout image. © Israel Foreign Ministry/Handout via Reuters
Israel pursues its offensive in Gaza City
Smoke rises following explosions amid the Israeli military offensive in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 6, 2025. © Dawoud Abu Alkas, Reuters
Israelis prepare to commemorate two years since October 7 massacre
Sagui Dekel Chen, who was released from Hamas captivity hugs his wife Avital, during a memorial service marking two years for the October 7, 2023, Hamas cross-border attack on Israel, in Kibbutz Nir Oz, October 6, 2025. © Ohad Zwigenberg, AP
Jojo Rabia cleans a box used for lighting candles as he visits the site where his two sons were killed on October 7, 2023, during the cross-border attack by Hamas militants at the Nova music festival, near the Kibbutz Reim, southern Israel, on October 6, 2025. © Leo Correa, AP
People visit the burnt house of Siman Tov family where all five family members were killed during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, in Kibbutz Nir Oz, Israel, a day before Israel marks the two-year anniversary of the attack, October 6, 2025. © Ohad Zwigenberg, AP
Hundreds of women in Istanbul formed a human chain to express solidarity with Palestinians
Hundreds of women in Istanbul formed a human chain to express solidarity with Palestinian women and children killed in the war in Gaza.
The demonstration — where participants held hands or stood shoulder to shoulder — was organized by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ruling party. It came on the eve of the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas. That assault, carried out by Hamas-led militants, triggered Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza, which has since claimed more than 67,100 lives.
Red Cross ready to act as intermediary in bringing Israeli hostages, Palestinian detainees home
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Monday that it was ready to act as a neutral humanitarian intermediary to help bring Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees back to their families.
“We are also prepared to bring aid into Gaza and distribute it safely to civilians in desperate need,” ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said in a statement.
In a press release, the ICRC wrote that it had helped with “the release of 148 hostages and 1,931 detainees since October 2023″ and coordinated “the return of human remains, allowing families to mourn their loved ones with dignity”.
