Israel launched fresh strikes across Gaza on Saturday, October 4, 2025, killing at least six people, local authorities reported. The attacks came just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump urged Israel to halt its bombing campaign, claiming Hamas had accepted key terms of a U.S.-brokered peace plan that includes the release of hostages.
Medical workers in Gaza said four people were killed in a house in Gaza City, while two more died in Khan Younis. The strikes unfolded as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced preparations for the “immediate implementation” of the first stage of Trump’s plan following Hamas’s response.
Israeli media later reported that political leaders instructed the military to scale back offensive operations in Gaza, though Israel’s chief of staff only confirmed readiness to proceed with the U.S. plan without mentioning reductions in military activity.
Trump’s Peace Gamble
President Trump has staked significant political capital on his 20-point plan to end the two-year-old war, which has left more than 66,000 Palestinians dead and Israel increasingly isolated internationally. On Friday, he declared Hamas “ready for a lasting PEACE” and demanded that Israel stop its strikes to enable a safe release of hostages.
“This is not about Gaza alone, this is about long-sought PEACE in the Middle East,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, framing himself as the only leader capable of brokering an end to the conflict.
Hamas’s agreement to parts of the plan came ahead of Trump’s Sunday deadline to accept or face “grave consequences.”
Netanyahu Under Pressure
Netanyahu’s government has signaled willingness to work “in full cooperation” with Trump’s team, while also emphasizing that Israel’s terms align with Trump’s vision. Still, the prime minister remains caught between competing domestic pressures: hostage families and a weary public demanding an end to the war, and far-right coalition partners pushing for continued military escalation.
Israel’s offensive began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, which killed 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken into Gaza. Israeli authorities say 48 hostages remain, including 20 believed to be alive.
Humanitarian Toll
Gaza’s health authorities report more than 66,000 dead since the start of the war, most of them civilians. The strip has been devastated by relentless bombardment, aid blockades, and famine conditions, with humanitarian agencies warning that survival is increasingly precarious for the enclave’s population.
As Israel and Hamas weigh their next steps, Trump’s plan has emerged as the most serious diplomatic initiative to date — one that could determine whether the war moves toward resolution or continues to spiral.
