Trump-Gaza live: Majority of Israelis want Netanyahu to resign over October 7 attacks

U.S. president Donald Trump assured Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains “very positive” about the ongoing indirect peace talks in Egypt.

Pressed by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on an Axios report that claimed Trump had urged Netanyahu to stop being negative, the U.S. leader said it was “not true”.

“He’s been very positive on the deal,” Trump said. “But this is a deal that, incredibly, everyone just came together. They all came together. No, Israel’s been great. They’ve all been good, Kaitlan.”

Ahead of the resumption of talks on Tuesday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an end to the hostilities, which have created “a humanitarian catastrophe on a scale that defied comprehension.”

“The recent proposal by US President Donald J. Trump presents an opportunity that must be seized to bring this tragic conflict to an end,” Guterres said.

“A permanent ceasefire and a credible political process are essential to prevent further bloodshed and pave the way for peace. International law must be respected.”

Palestinian deputy foreign minister Omar Awadallah told The Independent that there were “positive signals” coming out of the indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Sharm El-Sheikh over a deal for Gaza.

He said that we were “the closest to an agreement since January”, when the last temporary truce was reached and came into effect.

Representatives from Hamas, Israel, as well as Egypt, Qatar, and the United States are currently in Sharm El-Sheikh working on the implementation of Trump’s 20-point peace plan. So far, negotiators have been fairly tight-lipped about what exactly has been discussed.

Mr Awadallah said that top of the agenda right now was the “first part” of the plan: the release of hostages and prisoners, the entry of aid “at scale”, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and a halt to the fighting, the end to the slaughter.

For these initial stages, he said “the atmosphere is optimistic” that an agreement could be reached soon, as Trump has put pressure on a deal this week.

The issue, however, is the timeframes and a “solid action plan”.

“For [the] withdrawal of Israeli forces, we want the time frame to be quick, so that our people can be relieved and we can start the process of recovery and reconstruction. Without Israel’s withdrawal, it will be difficult,” he told The Independent from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

“But the deal needs action plans, time lines and time tables.”

One of the key concerns from the Palestinian side is Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu “playing tricks.”

“He is a master in changing agreed upon ideas, and in sabotaging any peaceful solution in the Middle East.

“The concern is without time line of withdrawal, this turns into a de facto occupation of Gaza, and also isolating Gaza, taking Gaza out of the geographical and political unity that is essential to political peace process.”

“Gaza is integral to the state of Palestine, there is no ‘people in Gaza’, no ‘Ramallah’s people’, no ‘West Bank people’, it is called the question of Palestine,” he added.

Hamas issued a statement on the second anniversary of the deadly October 7 attacks.

It described the time since as “two years of pain, injustice, oppression and great suffering, of heavy costs”.

Hamas criticised Israel’s attacks on “defenceless civilians”, lamenting “shameful international silence and complicity and unprecedented Arab failure”.

After two years of devastating conflict, people in Gaza and Israel spoke of their hopes for an end to the war.

Gaza resident Mohammed Dib, 49, said: “It’s been two years that we are living in fear, horror, displacement and destruction. We are hoping, with these new negotiations, to reach a ceasefire and a final end to the war.”

Israeli citizen Hilda Weisthal said: “It’s like an open wound, the hostages, I can’t believe it’s been two years and they are still not home. I really hope that all the leaders will make a push and that this war will end.”

Gaza’s health services have been rocked by “devastating and fatal blows” over two years of bitter conflict, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza has said.

“What is happening in the Gaza Strip is not a humanitarian crisis, or just a passing description of the long record of Israeli occupation crimes,” the ministry said in a post on Telegram on Tuesday.

“Rather, it is a complete and deliberate collapse of the pillar of human existence represented by the health services system, which has been exposed over the course of 730 days to devastating and fatal blows that have struck the nerve of the service components and its infrastructure.”

It claimed that 51,196 children under the age of five were still suffering from severe malnutrition, with health conditions worsened by overcrowding in “forced assembly areas”.

25 of 38 hospitals were out of service, it said, with 13 “still operating partially and in difficult conditions”.

World leaders spoke on Tuesday to call for the release of the remaining hostages and an end to the war in Gaza as Israelis marked two years since the Hamas-led October 7 attacks.

British prime minister Keir Starmer said: “Our priority in the Middle East remains the same – release the hostages. Surge aid into Gaza. And a ceasefire that can lead to a lasting and just peace as a step towards a Two-State solution.”

French president Emmanuel Macron said: “We do not forget. We stand in solidarity with all the victims, including 51 of our fellow citizens. We also think of the 48 hostages still held by Hamas. We are working tirelessly for their release. I reiterate France’s call: the release of all hostages and a ceasefire must take place without delay.”

Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni said: “Two years have passed since the ignominy of the massacre carried out by Hamas terrorists against thousands of defenceless and innocent Israeli civilians, including women and children. Unspeakable crimes that make October 7 one of the darkest pages in history.”

She added: “Hamas’ violence has triggered an unprecedented crisis in the Middle East. Israel’s military response has gone beyond any principle of proportionality, claiming too many innocent lives among Gaza’s civilian population. We all have a duty to do everything within our power to ensure that this precious and fragile opportunity – the peace plan presented by President Trump – succeeds.”

Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: “Today we pause to honour the victims of terror. We stand firmly against hatred and violence. As talks advance under the @POTUS plan, we urge all parties to act with courage and restraint: toward a lasting ceasefire, release of all hostages and a future of peace and security for all.”

The IDF reported on Tuesday that a rocket had been fired from northern Gaza into Israeli territory. No injuries were reported.

In Gaza, al-Amal hospital officials reported that a child had been killed and many Palestinians wounded in an Israeli attack.

Of the 251 hostages taken into Gaza on October 7, 48 people are believed to remain captive in the Palestinian territory.

Twenty of those are believed to still be alive.

After two years held by Hamas, negotiators are working to secure their release and return home, and a lasting end to the conflict.

Hamas has said it will release the remaining hostages, but still sought amendments to Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan ahead of this week’s talks.

Indirect peace talks were set to resume in Egypt after a “positive” first round on Monday.

A source close to Hamas’ negotiating team told the AFP news agency that Monday’s talks were “positive” and lasted around four hours.

They said that indirect negotiations were scheduled to continue on Tuesday. Another source said they would resume in Sharm el-Sheikh, a continuation from yesterday.