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Trump declares end of Gaza war as final Israeli hostages freed and Palestinians released

The announcement marked the formal conclusion of one of the most devastating conflicts in the region’s history, which has claimed more than 68,000 Palestinian lives and left much of Gaza in ruins.

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U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday declared an end to the two-year Gaza war after Hamas released the last living Israeli hostages under a ceasefire agreement, while Israel freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees in a landmark prisoner swap.

The announcement marked the formal conclusion of one of the most devastating conflicts in the region’s history, which has claimed more than 68,000 Palestinian lives and left much of Gaza in ruins.

“The skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still — and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace,” Trump told the Knesset in Jerusalem, declaring the war “over” and calling the agreement “a long-awaited miracle for both Israelis and Palestinians.”

Hostages and detainees exchanged

The Israeli military confirmed receiving all 20 surviving hostages after their transfer by the Red Cross. Families waiting in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square erupted in tears and cheers as the last captives arrived.

In Gaza, thousands gathered outside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis to welcome home prisoners released by Israel. Buses carrying freed detainees were met with emotional embraces, waving flags, and chants of victory.

According to Israeli officials, the released prisoners included 1,700 individuals detained during military operations in Gaza and another 250 held for alleged security offenses in Israeli prisons. Hamas also handed over four coffins containing the remains of deceased Israeli hostages.

Trump signs peace framework

Later Monday, Trump joined Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Sharm el-Sheikh for a summit attended by over 20 world leaders. Together with Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, Trump signed a joint declaration pledging to “work collectively to implement and sustain this legacy.”

“Now the rebuilding begins,” Trump said, describing the agreement as “the greatest deal of them all.”

The summit focused on Gaza’s reconstruction, governance, and future security arrangements — though notably absent were delegations from Israel and Hamas. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended, renewing his call for the PA to take part in Gaza’s post-war administration.

Unresolved challenges

Despite the ceasefire, formidable challenges remain. Israel is still seeking the recovery of 26 hostage bodies believed to be buried in Gaza, while humanitarian agencies warn that hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians face famine and disease.

U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher urged immediate action to “get shelter, food, and fuel to people who desperately need it.”

Tensions however persist in the occupied West Bank, where settlement expansion and sporadic violence threaten to derail fragile peace efforts.

Regional impact and future prospects

The Gaza conflict reshaped Middle East dynamics, sparking regional clashes between Israel and Iran and drawing in allied groups like Hezbollah and the Houthis. Trump said the end of the war could pave the way for a “broader peace,” even suggesting a potential normalization deal between Iran and Israel.

“Wouldn’t it be nice?” he told the Knesset. “This could be the beginning of a new era for the Middle East.”

For now, relief and grief coexist on both sides. In Israel, families of freed hostages celebrated amid tears. In Gaza, joy over returning prisoners was tempered by the immense human loss and destruction left behind.

As one woman in Khan Younis, Um Ahmed, told Reuters: “We are happy our sons are free — but Gaza still bleeds.”

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US imposes sanctions on 13 tied to Iran weapons procurement

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, “Treasury will not tolerate any support to ​the regime and will continue to identify, expose, and isolate Iran’s ⁠enablers.”

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The US government announced fresh sanctions on Tuesday against 13 individuals and entities, including some based in Russia, China, Hong Kong ​and Pakistan, saying they helped Iran procure weapons and components.

The sanctions announced by the ‌Treasury and State departments are part of the Trump administration’s effort to isolate Iran economically and force it to negotiate an end to the war that began with a US-Israeli strike on Iran ​on February 28.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, “Treasury will not tolerate any support to ​the regime and will continue to identify, expose, and isolate Iran’s ⁠enablers.”

Treasury said the sanctions were aimed at degrading Tehran’s ability to reconstitute its ​weapons programs, while increasing the costs for those who supported its procurement efforts.

Those targeted ​in Tuesday’s sanctions announcements include:

Seyyed Asghar Alizadeh Tabatabai, a Beijing-based representative of Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics agency, who Treasury said had coordinated the procurement of finished weapons systems ​and dual-use components in China on Iran’s behalf.

Iran-based Kavoshcom Asia R and D ​Group, which Treasury said had procured electronics including connectors for Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company.

Hong Kong-based ‌EC ⁠Mojo Technology Co Limited, which Treasury said had provided electronic components in support of Kavoshcom’s procurement efforts, and EC Mojo’s China-based representative Li Fen.

Pakistan-based Waseem Pasha Tajammal, who serves as chairman of Cavalier Group, a privately owned defense company with locations in ​Pakistan and internationally.

Joint Stock ​Company Experimental Design ⁠Bureau Named After A.S. Yakovlev, a Russia-based aircraft manufacturer.

MG-Flot LLC, a Russia-based shipping company whose vessels transport weapons for the Russian ​government.

Saha Airlines, an Iran-based airline affiliated with the country’s air ​force.

Brett Erickson, ⁠managing principal with Obsidian Risk Advisors, said the latest sanctions action would do little to impede Iran’s ability to launch missiles and drones in the Strait of Hormuz. “This is ⁠optics ​management for the Trump administration to claim ‘We’re hammering ​them,’ when the reality is we’re poking them with a toothpick,” he said.

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US, Iran separately talk with mediators in latest bid to end war

US officials separately ​spoke with mediators on Monday, US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House, without giving further details.

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US and Iranian officials spoke separately with mediators on Monday as part ‌of a renewed effort to end seven months of war, according to officials of both countries, Reuters reported.

Any further talks are expected to focus on an amended version of a seven-day proposal that Iran presented last week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, ​an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters.

The war began in late February with US and Israeli ​attacks on Iran, killing thousands of people over seven months and shocking global markets ⁠as vital waterways for oil remained choked. The US and Iran have twice previously agreed to ceasefires in ​mediated peace talks, in April and June. Those agreements quickly unraveled.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who remained in New ​York after attending the General Assembly, said Iran expected to receive the US response to its latest ceasefire proposals and its conditions for restoring passage of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, according to state news agency IRNA.

“If the Americans claim ​they are seeking an agreement or a peaceful solution, we have presented that solution,” Araqchi said.

US officials separately ​spoke with mediators on Monday, US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House, without giving further details.

Iran’s seven-day plan envisages an end to all hostilities in Iran and Lebanon, the unfreezing of billions of dollars’ worth of Iranian assets, an end to sanctions on Iranian oil and the lifting of the US blockade on Iranian ports.

Iran would then allow the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit for ​oil tankers, and the two ​sides would also resume ⁠talks on Iran’s nuclear program and Trump’s wish to seize or eliminate its highly enriched uranium, read the report.

Trump said on Saturday he had rejected Iran’s proposal, saying Iran wanted a swift ​agreement because of the crippling economic pressure it is under. However, he also told ​Axios on ⁠Sunday that he expected US negotiators to engage in further talks this week.

Araqchi said on Sunday that mediators had not formally conveyed a US rejection, and that Iran was awaiting Washington’s definitive position before deciding its next steps.

“Our conditions are ⁠clear, and ​any move toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz is contingent on ​these conditions being met,” he said on Sunday, adding that only a negotiated solution could resolve the impasse.

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Floods, landslides kill 56 in India and 14 in Nepal

In India, the Central Water Commission said 30 river-monitoring stations across seven states indicated a “severe situation”.

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Heavy rain and storms have triggered floods and landslides that killed 56 people in India, while in Nepal, 14 have died and another 11 are missing, with authorities there warning on Sunday ​that more flash floods are possible, Reuters reported.

India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh recorded 66.5 mm of ​rain between September 25 and the morning of September 27, compared with a ⁠normal 7.6 mm for the period, Hrishikesh Bhaskar Yashod, the state’s relief commissioner, said on Sunday.

Authorities are ​carrying out rescue operations in waterlogged areas and distributing relief, while officials have been told to assess ​crop damage and provide compensation.

In addition to the 56 deaths, 46 people have been injured and more than 1,000 houses have been damaged.

Nepali authorities warned of possible flash floods in 49 of the country’s 77 districts, with more than half ​facing high flood or flash-flood risks as water levels in major rivers and tributaries continued to rise.

Shanti ​Mahat, a spokesperson for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, said Rasuwa and Nuwakot, areas hit by ‌last month’s deadly ⁠floods that killed more than 1,450 people and left thousands still missing, should remain “alert” but were not currently considered high-risk areas.

Power supply has been completely disrupted in the Manang, Mustang, Myagdi and Baglung districts, with authorities working to restore electricity, energy ministry officials said.

Flooding of the Rahuganga River damaged the structure and ​transmission-line towers of a ​40-megawatt hydropower project, Water ⁠Resources and Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha said.

In India, the Central Water Commission said 30 river-monitoring stations across seven states indicated a “severe situation”.

Several major rivers, including ​the Ganga, Gandak, Kosi, Bagmati and Narmada, were above danger levels, read the report.

Floods and ​landslides also disrupted ⁠telecommunications in parts of Nepal after damage to optical fibres and power supplies, Communications Minister Bikram Timilsinha said.

In a separate incident in Nepal, 10 local workers were also missing after an avalanche buried the base camp ⁠of the ​7,126-metre (23,379-ft) Himlung Himal in the northern Manang district, hiking officials ​said.

The workers had been setting up tents for foreign climbers, who were not present when the avalanche struck.

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