A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the last 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
The ceasefire in Gaza is now in effect and Israeli forces are pulling back from parts of the territory in accordance with the deal approved by the Israeli government overnight, the Israeli military said today. The IDF troops positioned along the “updated deployment lines” will “continue to remove any immediate threat,” the IDF said. BBC News reports.
Thousands of Palestinians have started moving from southern Gaza toward Gaza City following the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the area. According to an IDF spokesperson, “movement from the south to the north of Gaza is permitted” as the ceasefire came into effect at 12 p.m. local time. CNN reports; Alexander Cornwell and Nida Al-Mughrabi report for Reuters.
The Israeli forces’ partial withdrawal has now triggered a 72-hour countdown for Hamas to release the hostages it is holding. Separately, Israel has published the names of 250 Palestinian prisoners set for release as part of the agreement and Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya said he received guarantees from the United States and other mediators that the war is over. Jeremy Diamond reports for CNN; Tamar Michaelis reports for CNN; Reuters reports.
Eyewitnesses in Gaza told BBC News of Israeli airstrikes in Khan Younis and artillery shelling and gunfire in the Netzarim corridor early this morning. According to the IDF, the ceasefire agreement came into effect at midday local time. The IDF said they were looking into the reports of airstrikes. According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, a total of 17 people have been killed in Gaza in the past 24 hours. Tom Bennett and Hugo Bachega report; BBC News reports.
In a televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today thanked President Trump “for his global leadership and his relentless efforts to put together this plan to return the hostages” and “great friendship toward our people and country.” Netanyahu also thanked the U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Tamar Michaelis and Catherine Nicholls report for CNN.
ISRAEL HAMAS WAR — U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
U.S. officials said yesterday that the United States will send 200 U.S. troops to Israel to monitor the implementation of the cease-fire deal in Gaza. The U.S. soldiers will join troops from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the UAE to provide oversight and will work to establish a civil-military coordination center in Israel to provide security and humanitarian support. The U.S. soldiers are not intended to enter Gaza, one official said. Tyler Pager and Eric Schmitt report for the New York Times.
European and Arab politicians met in Paris yesterday to discuss further details on the reconstruction and administration of Gaza after the war. “We discussed the major fields to which we intend to contribute: security, governance, reconstruction and humanitarian aid,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel reporters said this morning. Barrot said that the details would be shared with the United States “so that they can integrate them” into future plans. John Irish reports for Reuters.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Russian drone and missile strikes overnight have wounded at least 20 people in Kyiv and caused blackouts across Ukraine, Ukrainian authorities said today. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko called the attack “one of the largest concentrated strikes” against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Russian attack drones, missiles and guided bombs over the Zaporizhzhia region killed a 7 year old and wounded his parents, military officials said. AP News reports.
23 Ukrainian children have been brought out of Russian occupied areas of Ukraine and into territory under Kyiv’s control, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff said yesterday. Reuters reports.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are drawing up contingency plans to respond to the possibility of mass displacement of their citizens following a Russian attack, officials told Reuters. The town of Kaunas in Lithuania has plans to house 300,000 people in schools, universities and churches. “It’s a very reassuring message to our society that we are ready and we are planning,” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said. “We have done our homework.” Andrius Sytas reports.
Peru’s congress voted yesterday to remove Peruvian President Dina Boluarte from office. Boluarte refused to attend the vote which approved her removal on grounds of “permanent moral incapacity.” Boluarte has denied all allegations against her, which include bribery and involvement in a deadly crackdown on protesters in 2022. Mauricio Torres and Jessie Yeung report for CNN.
Sudanese Rapid Support Forces paramilitary reportedly killed 13 people on Tuesday night in an attack on the Saudi hospital in the besieged city of El-Fasher, a source told BBC News. The source said that 16 others were injured by the shelling, including a doctor and a nurse. A group of Sudanese medics called the attack a war crime. Richard Kagoe and Wedaeli Chibelushi report.
Taiwan President William Lai announced today that Taiwan will build a dome-like air defence system to guard against “hostile threats.” Lai said there was also “clear necessity” to boost defense spending, confirming plans to increase spending from 3% to 5% of GDP by 2030. Kelly Ng reports for BBC News.
Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday acknowledged Russia’s responsibility for the downing of an Azerbaijani jet last year, which killed 38 people. Putin indicated that Russia would be willing to pay unspecified damages to the victims’ families. Nataliya Vasilyeva reports for the New York Times.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Venezuela’s government yesterday requested an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council to focus on U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean sea in recent weeks. Venezuela’s U.N. Ambassador Samuel Moncada accused the United States of seeking “regime change” in Venezuela in “order to seize control of the vast natural resources found in the Venezuelan territory,” adding that the Trump administration is threatening “peace, security and stability regionally and internationally,” in a letter addressed to the Security Council president. AP News reports.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent yesterday announced that plans for the United States to provide $20 billion to Argentina had been finalized, adding that the United States had also directly purchased Argentine pesos in an attempt to stabilize Argentina’s financial market. Bessent did not confirm how many pesos were purchased. The $20 billion “currency swap” framework gives Argentina’s central bank the ability to exchange pesos for U.S. dollars with the Treasury. Michael Stratford reports for POLITICO; Elisabeth Buchwald reports for CNN.
“We import from China massive amounts and maybe we will have to stop doing that,” Trump said yesterday following Beijing’s announcement of export restrictions on rare-earth materials. A White House official said that China’s new rules were announced without notice to the United States and appear to be an attempt to control the world’s technology supply chains. Amrith Ramkumar and Lingling Wei report for the Wall Street Journal.
China’s Ministry of Transportation announced today that a special port fee will be imposed on vessels owned by U.S. companies, organizations, or individuals docking at Chinese ports. U.S. vessels will be charged $56 per net ton from October 14, with planned increases from 2026 to 2028. The Wall Street Journal reports.
The United States is trailing behind Russia and China in the development and deployment of hypersonic weapons, fostering “battlefield asymmetry,” according to an Atlantic Council study shared with Axios. Incremental improvements are “not enough,” Hypersonic Capabilities Director Stephen Rodriguez said. “We need to act decisively now.” Colin Demarest reports.
TECH DEVELOPMENTS
Teams of customs officers at major ports in China have been carrying out stringent checks on semiconductor shipments, according to three sources. The sources said that the inspections started to ensure that local companies stop ordering Nvidia’s China-specific chips following guidance from the Chinese regulators to discourage their purchase. Zijing Wu and Cheng Leng report for the Financial Times.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS
A grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, yesterday indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James yesterday on felony charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution regarding a mortgage loan. James’ first court appearance is scheduled for October 24. “These charges are baseless, and the president’s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost,” James said yesterday. Kristen Holmes, Hannah Rabinowitz, and Kara Scannell report for CNN.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week fired Navy chief of staff Jon Harrison, without providing a public explanation. Five former and current officials said that there is a deepening sense of uncertainty in the department and concerns about Hegseth’s objectives. One official spoke about a “culture of fear; there’s a culture of intimidation and retaliation.” Another said, “It’s better just to keep your head down.” Paul McLeary and Daniel Lippman report for POLITICO.
The Internal Revenue Service yesterday pivoted on its position that furloughed workers would be “compensated on the earliest date possible” after the Government shutdown ends, according to an email obtained by POLITICO. The email sent to employees yesterday states that IRS’s initial memo on furlough guidance “incorrectly stated the nature of the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019” and that further guidance will be provided on the issue. Danny Nguyen reports for Axios.
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children is running out of money, despite a White House pledge earlier this week to use tariff revenue to support the program during the government shutdown. “We have gotten no information about how much money would be available, when it would be available to states or what states would be able to use it for,” National WIC Association policy director Ali Hard said. Several sources said that lawmakers and their staff had not been informed of the administration’s plans. Marcia Brown reports for POLITICO.
FEDERALIZATION OF DOMESTIC POLICING
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) yesterday criticized the deployment of Texas National Guard troops to Illinois, adding that he “believe[s] in the federalist system – that’s states’ rights.” “Oklahomans would lose their mind if Pritzker in Illinois sent troops down to Oklahoma during the Biden administration,” Stitt told the New York Times. Stitt expressed support for Trump’s effort to protect ICE agents but raised concerns about the precedent that was being set by guard deployment. J. David Goodman reports.
Tennessee National Guard troops will begin patrolling Memphis today, providing additional “eyes and ears” to Memphis police officers, the city announced in an online update. It is unclear how many troops will be deployed. Emily Cochrane reports for the New York Times.
U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS
Officials in Los Angeles County are considering declaring a state of emergency to provide relief for immigrants who have suffered financially from fear of ICE raids. The county board voted 4 to 1 on Tuesday to put an emergency declaration up for a vote on October 14. “Families are now afraid to go to work, to attend school or even to buy groceries,” a county supervisor said on Tuesday. A declaration would allow the LA County Board of Supervisors to put in place an eviction moratorium and other protections. Orlando Mayorquín reports for the New York Times.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
Appeals court judges yesterday appeared sceptical of Oregon’s case that Trump did not have the authority to deploy National Guard troops to Portland during oral arguments. “What I’m struggling with is, the president gets to direct his resources as he seems fit, and it just seems a little counterintuitive to me that the City of Portland can come in and say ‘No, you need to do it differently,’” Judge Ryan Nelson said. It is unclear when the court will issue a ruling. Kale Williams reports for Axios.
A federal judge yesterday temporarily blocked Trump from federalizing or deploying the National Guard from Illinois or any other state for use in Illinois for two weeks. The judge said that “there is overwhelming evidence submitted that the provocative nature of ICE’s enforcement activity, the repeated constitutional violations, has itself caused a significant increase in protest activity.” The judge added that her full written order will be made available today. Mariah Timms, John McCormick, and Victoria Albert report for the Wall Street Journal; Mitch Smith reports for New York Times.
A federal judge yesterday issued a temporary retraining order barring federal agents from using force or threatening to arrest journalists in Chicago for 14 days. The order also blocks federal agents from requiring journalists to leave public spaces and using riot control weapons on the press, protestors, or clergy “who are not posing an immediate threat to the safety of law enforcement or others.” Gregory Svirnovskiy reports for POLITICO.
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