Trump says 'we might have Gaza deal'; Netanyahu says 'sustainable peace' with Lebanon is possible | LIVE

That concludes our live coverage of events for the day. Thanks for joining us. We'll be back tomorrow with more news updates and analysis. Goodnight.

Hostage families group denounces Netanyahu speech

The main Israeli group representing the families of Gaza hostages decried Netanyahu's call at the U.N. today to "finish the job" in the besieged enclave, saying it endangered the remaining captives, AFP reports.

"Every day of continued war puts the living hostages at greater risk and threatens the recovery of those who have been murdered," the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement. 

"Time and again, [Netanyahu] has chosen to squander every opportunity to bring them home."

In a speech delivered to the U.N. General Assembly, Netanyahu vowed to "finish the job" against Hamas in Gaza even as Trump said he thought he had sealed a deal on a cease-fire after nearly two years of a devastating onslaught on Gaza in which Israel has killed more than 65,000 people.

Netanyahu ordered speech to be broadcast in Gaza

Netanyahu's office instructed the Israeli army to broadcast the prime minister's U.N. General Assembly speech live to residents of Gaza, Times of Israel reports.

After reports this morning that the army was ordered to disperse loudspeakers on trucks throughout the Strip, the Prime Minister's Office confirmed that it was planning to play the speech live for Gazans, but asserted that it would only be doing so from the Israeli side of the border.

However, it was later revealed that some of the loudspeakers — mounted on trucks and cranes — were brought to army posts inside the Strip, including those more than a kilometer deep in the territory, according to the army.

Trump hints at possible Gaza cease-fire

U.S. President Donald Trump said he believed that a deal had been struck to end Israel's war on Gaza, following recent talks with Israel and Arab states, Reuters reports.

"I think we have a deal," Trump told reporters at the White House. "It's looking like we have a deal on Gaza, I think it's a deal that will get the hostages back, it's going to be a deal that will end the war."

There was no mention of whether Hamas has been informed of or included in said deal.

(Credit: Caitlin Ochs/Reuters)

Dozens of people walked out of the General Assembly hall at the U.N. as Netanyahu took to the podium, delaying his speech by several minutes as the crowd filed out of the room. The Israeli delegation and supporters sitting on the sidelines clapped and cheered despite the walk-out. Netanyahu then spoke to a room of mainly empty seats.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City on Sept. 26, 2025. (Credit: Timothy A. Clary/AFP)

This time last year, shortly after Netanyahu had concluded his address to the General Assembly on Friday, Sept. 27, Israeli jets unleashed more than 80 2,000-pound bombs on Beirut's southern suburbs, flattening at least four buildings, assassinating Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and killing an unknown number of civilians.

Netanyahu calls on Lebanese government to enter negotiations

"I call on the Lebanese government to also begin direct negotiations with Israel," Netanyahu said, following comments about ongoing talks between his government and Syria's new authorities.

"I commend it for its declared aim to disarm Hezbollah," he said, of Lebanon's recent efforts to establish a state monopoly on arms. "But we need more than words."

"If Lebanon takes genuine and sustained action to disarm Hezbollah, I'm sure we can achieve a sustainable peace. Of course, until that happens, we will take whatever action we need to defend ourselves and to maintain the conditions of the cease-fire that was established in Lebanon," he said.

In its consistent attacks on Lebanon since agreeing to a truce in November 2024, Israel has killed more than 310 people and continues to occupy six areas on the Lebanese side of the Blue Line.

"Our goal is not merely to monitor Hezbollah's actions, but to prevent them from violating the cease-fire and attacking us at any time."

Netanyahu denies genocide and famine in Gaza

Netanyahu addressed what he claimed is “the false charge of genocide,” saying that evacuation orders for civilians in Gaza is proof of this, asking, “Did the Nazis ask the Jews to kindly leave, go out?” Israel is doing “everything it can to get civilians out of harm’s way,” he said.

Israel has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians since October 2023. More than 12,000 of that number were killed since March, when Israel unilaterally collapsed a cease-fire with Hamas and restarted the war.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu on charges of war crimes, including the use of starvation as a weapon of war.

Netanyahu also called accusations of famine false. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 400 people have died from starvation as a result of Israel's suffocating blockade on Gaza.

"What a joke. Israel is accused of deliberately starving Gaza residents, when it has brought in more than two million tons of food and aid, almost 3,000 calories per person every day. What starvation?" Netanyahu said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses UN General Assembly

Talks between Syria and Israel stalled

Efforts to conclude a security pact between Syria and Israel stalled at the last minute over Israel's demand to be allowed to open a "humanitarian corridor" to the southern Syrian province of Sweida, four sources close to the talks told Reuters.

Syria and Israel were recently close to agreeing on the broad outlines of a pact after months of talks, mediated by the US, held in Baku, Paris, and London, which had accelerated ahead of the U.N. General Assembly in New York this week.

The pact aimed to create a demilitarized zone in southern Syria, including the province of Sweida, where sectarian violence in July left more than a thousand Druze dead.

Israeli army trucks transporting loudspeakers to the Gaza Strip to broadcast Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to the UN. Photo from Israeli social media and shared by the Times.

Netanhyahu's speech to be broadcast on Israeli side of Gaza border, says his office

The loudspeakers set to broadcast Netanyahu's U.N. speech in Gaza will "only be on the Israeli side" of the border, according to his office.

The Israeli prime minister's office told Haaretz that the loudspeakers that will be installed to broadcast Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at the U.N. in the Gaza Strip will be placed on trucks "only on the Israeli side of the border" with Gaza. The office added that Netanyahu had "expressly ordered that this initiative not endanger Israeli soldiers."

According to a senior army officer quoted earlier by Israeli opposition media, the initial order given to troops on Thursday evening was to install loudspeakers both inside the Gaza Strip and along the border, indicating that "installation only along the border would not be sufficient to broadcast the speech" to the inhabitants of the besieged enclave.

Death toll from Israeli attacks on Gaza continues to rise

Medical sources in Gaza told Al Jazeera that Israel has now killed 47 Palestinians since this morning, including 28 in Gaza City, where the Israeli army is continuing its ground invasion.

A source at al-Awda Hospital reported that seven Palestinians were killed in an Israeli drone strike on a tent sheltering displaced people west of the Nuseirat refugee camp in the center of the enclave.

According to the latest official figures released on Friday by the Gaza Health Ministry, the death toll due to Israeli attacks since the start of its war on the enclave since October 23 has reached at least 65,549, with a further 167,518 wounded. Several thousand are presumed missing, their bodies unaccounted for under the rubble.

A number of member states pledge funding to the Palestinian Authority

The Palestinian Authority welcomed foreign funding pledges announced at the U.N., which it said would help it maintain public services at a time when Israel is withholding tax revenues collected on its behalf.

According to the office of Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, donor countries, including Saudi Arabia, Germany, and Spain, pledged at least $170 million on Thursday in New York to fund the budget of the Palestinian Authority based in Ramallah, in the West Bank, a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967.

The announcement was made during the U.N. General Assembly and after several Western states, including France and the UK recognized the State of Palestine.

Nuclear power plants: Iran and Russia sign $25 billion contract, according to IRNA

While Russia's state-owned nuclear company Rosatom announced on Wednesday that Russia and Iran had signed a memorandum of understanding on the construction of small nuclear power plants in Iran, the Iranian news agency IRNA reported today that the contract was worth $25 billion. As part of this partnership, Rosatom is expected to build four nuclear power plants in Iran, according to the agency.

UK judge on Kneecap band member prosecution: 'The charge is unlawful and null'

Rapper Mo Chara was alleged to have waved a Hezbollah flag during a Kneecap gig in London in November 2024. A judge ruled today that all charges are dropped.

Terrified children emerge from the ruins of a home destroyed by an Israeli air strike in Gaza City on 26 Sept, 2025. (Credit: Ebrahim Hajjaj/Reuters)

Israel’s onslaught on Gaza continues

Israel has killed 29 Palestinians since this morning, and wounded dozens others, in attacks across the Strip. Rescue teams scramble to sift through the debris in attempts to save those buried beneath.

US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sept. 25, 2025. (Photo: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Agreement on Gaza cease-fire reached with Trump, says Erdogan

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he has reached an agreement with U.S. President Donald Trump on how to achieve a cease-fire and lasting peace in Gaza and Palestine, following talks at the White House on Thursday, according to Reuters.

"Our meeting was very important in affirming our desire to end the massacres in Gaza. Trump said during the meeting that it was necessary to end the fighting in Gaza and achieve lasting peace," Erdogan told reporters, according to a transcript released by his office on Friday.

"We explained how a cease-fire could be achieved in Gaza and throughout Palestine, followed by lasting peace. An agreement was reached on this," he added. "We stated that the two-state solution was the formula for lasting peace in the region, that the current situation could not continue."

Death toll from Israeli strikes on Gaza rises to 27

Israeli strikes and gunfire have killed at least 27 Palestinians since this morning, including 11 people seeking humanitarian aid in the center and south of the enclave and 16 others in Gaza City, according to local hospital sources cited by Al Jazeera.

Among these latest victims, four people were killed in an Israeli drone strike in northeast Gaza City, according to a source at al-Maamadani Hospital.

In addition, a source at al-Shifa Hospital confirmed that an Israeli strike targeting a house in the al-Rimal neighborhood killed one person.

Israel announces new target against residential tower block in Gaza City

The Israeli army has issued an "evacuation order" via its Arabic-language spokesperson targeting a residential tower block in Gaza City.

The targeted building is located on Amin al-Husseini Street in the al-Rimal neighborhood. Residents of the area and people living in tents adjacent to the building are being called upon to evacuate to the so-called "humanitarian" zone of al-Mawassi, in the south of the enclave, which is also regularly targeted by Israeli attacks.

Allenby Crossing remains shut despite announcement to re-open

The Allenby border crossing, the only route connecting Jordan and the occupied West Bank, remains shut. Following the killing of two Israeli soldiers last week, Israel closed it on Wednesday until further notice after briefly reopening it on Monday.

Yesterday, the Israeli Airports Authority announced that it would reopen the crossing to passenger traffic only as of this morning. But for now, sources have told Al Jazeera that no buses have been able to cross.

The Israeli army says it struck a "missile production site" in the Bekaa Valley

The Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, issued a statement claiming responsibility for a series of strikes carried out about an hour ago in the eastern Bekaa Valley.

He said that the Israeli air force had targeted "a precision missile production site" belonging to Hezbollah in the region. "The Israeli army will continue to operate to eliminate any threat to the State of Israel," the statement concluded.

Gaza: Death toll from Israeli attacks rises to 21 since dawn

The number of Palestinians killed by Israeli militarty strikes or gunfire on Friday morning in the Gaza Strip has already risen to 21, according to Al Jazeera.

Eleven of the victims were killed while seeking humanitarian aid during distributions organized in the center and south of the enclave.

In addition, Israeli strikes on residential homes in the Shati refugee camp in western Gaza City killed four Palestinians, according to rescue workers.

Israeli army prepares to broadcast Netanyahu's UN speech across Gaza Strip

The Israeli army is preparing to broadcast Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech, which he will deliver tonight at the U.N., across the Gaza Strip, two military sources told Haaretz.

The order was given by the southern command of the army to broadcast the speech via loudspeakers installed on trucks and near the border fence, according to one of the sources. The aim of broadcasting the speech in the Gaza Strip is to wage "psychological warfare," according to the same source.

A total of four Israeli strikes were fired in the same area of the Bekaa (Photo received by our correspondent in the Bekaa, Sarah Abdallah).

⚡ The pause in strikes did not last long. New Israeli strikes recorded, our Bekaa correspondent reports.

The Israeli air force carried out a series of strikes on the eastern Bekaa, near Jurd al-Shaara, Nabi Sheet and Khreibeh, according to our correspondent in the region. The planes preceded the strikes by breaking the sound barrier, she added.

First full day with no Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory since November cease-fire

Since Thursday morning, no Israeli attacks have been recorded on Lebanese territory, according to information provided to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

This is the first time since the cease-fire came into effect that Israel has not violated the truce with air or drone strikes, stun grenades, artillery fire, etc. The only violation of the truce observed consisted of drones and fighter jets flying over certain areas.

Gaza: At least one killed and several wounded in Israeli strike on Gaza City

A source at Al-Maamadani Hospital told Al Jazeera that at least one Palestinian was killed and several others were wounded in an Israeli strike that targeted the al-Zarqa area of Gaza City.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces continue to fire artillery at the eastern neighborhoods of the city, which have been under attack by troops for several weeks, according to local correspondents for the pan-Arab media outlet.

Toll from the Israeli strike on Sanaa rises to nine dead and 174 wounded, according to the Houthis

Israeli strikes on Sanaa have killed at least nine people and wounded 174.

Houthi Health Ministry spokesman Anees Alasbahi said in a message posted on X that the death toll "now stands at nine martyrs and 174 wounded," adding that rescuers were still searching for victims under the rubble.

The group, which holds control of the Yemeni capital, claimed responsibility for an attack in southern Israel the preceding day which wounded 22.

Committee approves Netanyahu's nominee for Shin Bet chief

The nomination of General David Zini, proposed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to head Shin Bet, Israel's internal security service, was approved yesterday by the committee responsible for senior civil service appointments, the Prime Minister's Office announced.

Netanyahu's decision in May to appoint Zini to the post was deemed "illegal" by the state prosecutor, but the committee ruled otherwise and approved the appointment announced by the government. This decision puts an end to the saga surrounding this controversial appointment, with Netanyahu suspected of a conflict of interest in the choice of Shin Bet chief due to an investigation by the service into some of his associates suspected of receiving bribes from Qatar.

UNRWA to be part of Gaza reconstruction, says director of UN agency

Any effort to rebuild Gaza will have to involve the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), said Philippe Lazzarini, its director, in an interview with AFP on Thursday. Israel has accused UNRWA of complicity with Hamas without presenting evidence to back up the claim.

"UNRWA is currently present in Gaza with 12,000 employees. Every day, against all odds, our staff continues to provide primary health care," said Lazzarini, who has headed the agency since 2020. "UNRWA is certainly the organization with the best expertise and the strongest workforce in primary healthcare and education," he continued.

Egypt says it is open to sending international forces to Gaza

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aaty announced yesterday evening that he was open to the idea of sending international forces to Gaza, under a U.N. Security Council resolution, to help the Palestinian Authority manage the Palestinian enclave, Al Jazeera reports.

The statement was made during a press conference in New York on the international alliance for a two-state solution, which brought together foreign ministers from Arab and European countries, including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Norway, on the sidelines of the 80th annual U.N. General Assembly.

He reported a consensus on a provisional Palestinian administration of the Gaza Strip "without the participation of factions," without giving further details on the matter.

After Trump's warning to Netanyahu, Israeli prime minister expected to address UN

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to address the U.N. today, where he has promised to denounce those who have recognized Palestinian statehood.

At a summit organized on Monday by France and Saudi Arabia on the future of the two-state solution, with Palestinians and Israelis living side by side in peace and security, a dozen countries, including France, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, formally recognized the State of Palestine, provoking Israel's anger.

While at least 151 of the 193 U.N. member states have now taken this step, Benjamin Netanyahu, who insists that "there will be no Palestinian state," was clear: "I will denounce those leaders who, instead of condemning murderers, rapists, and child burners, want to grant them a state in the heart of the Land of Israel," he said before leaving for New York.

'It's time to stop': Trump says he 'will not allow Israel to annex' the occupied West Bank

Donald Trump said last night that he would not "allow Israel to annex the occupied West Bank," a measure demanded by far-right Israeli ministers in retaliation for the recognition of a Palestinian state by several countries. "I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. No, I won't allow it. It won't happen," said the U.S. president, who had not yet taken a public position on the issue, before repeating: "I won't allow Israel to annex the West Bank. That's enough. It's time to stop now."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom Donald Trump spoke on Thursday, said his government would expand Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank in response to Western countries' recognition of a Palestinian state. Far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have called for the annexation of the West Bank.

Good morning and welcome to today's live coverage of events in Lebanon, Palestine, the region and beyond.

The death toll in Gaza continues to rise and more Palestinians are forcibly displaced as Israel's military air strikes pummel the Strip and its ground offensive into Gaza City intensifies.

On the other side of the ocean, world leaders are gathered in New York for the 80th U.N. General Assembly, and Palestine is top of the agenda, though Palestinians are notably absent from many of the discussions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to address the Assembly at 9 a.m. (ET) — 4 p.m. Beirut time.

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