Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas signed an agreement on Thursday to cease fire and free Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, in the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's initiative to end the two-year war in Gaza.

Washington

Israel and Iran have agreed a ceasefire after a twelve day conflict. Meanwhile, Israel strikes in Gaza continue with the humanitarian crisis deepening.

Middle East Conflict

Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Israeli hostages held in Gaza are set to be released early next week as part of a new agreement between Israel and Hamas. The deal, signed in Sharm el-Sheikh, includes a ceasefire, partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of all remaining hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

The agreement follows two years of conflict that began with a Hamas attack on southern Israel, resulting in significant casualties on both sides. The deal has been met with celebrations in both Israel and Gaza, and will allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. However, some aspects of the agreement, such as the final list of prisoners to be released and the future governance of Gaza, remain unresolved.

Trump says Israel hostages to be freed early next week

We secured the release of all of the remaining hostages and they should be released on Monday or Tuesday. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Israeli hostages held in Gaza should be released early next week, in the first phase of a broader Gaza plan aimed at ending two years of brutal warfare. Representatives of Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas confirmed the two sides signed an agreement on Thursday in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Under the deal, fighting will cease, Israel will partially withdraw from Gaza, and Hamas will free all remaining hostages it captured in the attack that precipitated the war, in exchange for hundreds of prisoners held by Israel. It's really peace in the Middle East. It was just over two years ago that Hamas fighters rampaged through southern Israeli communities, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 captives back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's retaliation has killed over 67,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been sheltering in tents after Israeli forces destroyed their homes and razed entire cities to dust. The news of the hostage deal, prisoner release and ceasefire was met with celebration. Israelis in Tel Aviv waved flags. Emergency service personnel in Gaza City flashed victory signs at the prospect of an end to the conflict. Fleets of trucks carrying food and medical aid would be allowed to surge into Gaza after months of famine and starvation. The accord, if fully implemented, would bring the two sides closer than any previous effort to halt a war that has erupted into a regional conflict, drawing in Iran, Yemen and Lebanon, and deepening Israel's international isolation. But that isolation may have played a role in why Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ultimately accepted Trump's terms. President Trump did put pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu because he lined up everyone in favor of his deal. Netanyahu had nowhere else to go. Jonathan Reinhold heads the political science department at Bar Ilan University in Israel. So if he was to not agree with the president's plan, it would have completely isolated Israel at a time when countries are refusing to sell it weapons and considering boycotting it in sporting events. But much could still go wrong. Even after the deal was signed, a Palestinian source said the list of Palestinians to be released by Israel had yet to be finalized. Further steps in Trump's 20-point plan have yet to be discussed, including how the shattered Gaza Strip is to be ruled when fighting ends and the ultimate fate of Hamas, which has so far rejected Israel's demands it disarm.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that his government has approved a plan to release all remaining hostages in Gaza. The move is part of President Trump’s peace plan and could bring an end to the two-year conflict in the region.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Israeli government approves framework to release hostages

New York Attorney General Letitia James has been indicted by a grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia. She faces two separate charges, one count of bank fraud and one count of false statements to a financial institution.

Alexandria

Federal grand jury indicts New York AG Letitia James

The U.S. Senate held its seventh round of votes Thursday on Democratic and Republican plans to fund and reopen the government, but once again the bills failed to pass.

Senate votes to reopen government fail again on 9th day of shutdown

The chemistry award is the third 2025 Nobel Prize to be announced this week. Three U.S. scientists won the award in chemistry for creating a new molecular structure.

Stockholm

U.S. scientist trio win Nobel Prize in chemistry

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of wanting to sow "chaos" in Ukraine by launching strikes on his country's energy grid and railway infrastructure, in comments published Thursday.

Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

Zelenskyy says Russia aims to sow 'chaos' with energy strikes

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday (October 8) that Hamas has agreed to release hostages and Israel will pull back its troops in Gaza in the "first phase" of a peace deal. CBS News' Debora Patta reports.

Jerusalem

Israel and Hamas agree to phase one of peace deal

Russia and China are sending high-level representatives to North Korea for celebrations honoring 80 years of the ruling party. CBS News' Ramy Inocencio reports.

Pyongyang

Russia, China send representatives to North Korea

The Toronto Blue Jays won Game 4 of their American League Division Series matchup against the New York Yankees to advance to the next round of the Major League Baseball playoffs.

New York

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The ongoing U.S. government shutdown has led to major delays and staffing shortages at airports, raising safety concerns. The flight attendants’ union says reduced oversight and overworked crews are putting additional strain on the aviation system.

Aviation less safe during any government shutdown, union warns

Earlier this week, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said one of the reasons for staffing shortages at airports is that a growing number of air traffic controllers have been calling in sick. Those controllers don't know when they'll get their next paycheck amid the government shutdown.

Los Angeles International Airport

Why the government shutdown is playing into travel delays

President Trump says he might travel to the Middle East as soon as this weekend as Israel and Hamas continue indirect negotiations to end the war in Gaza. CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O'Keefe has the details.

Cairo

Trump 'may' go to Egypt or Gaza amid Israel-Hamas peace

A 29-year-old Florida man has been arrested on suspicion of arson in connection with the deadly Palisades Fire that scorched parts of Los Angeles earlier this year, officials said Wednesday.

Los Angeles

Man arrested for allegedly starting Palisades Fire in California

Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty to two counts in federal court on Wednesday (October 8) after being indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice in September.

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Some air traffic control staffing issues and bad weather are affecting flight delays as the government shutdown enters its eighth day. CBS News senior transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave has more details.

Government shutdown, staffing issues lead to flight delays

Hamas’ lead negotiator says the group needs guarantees of a lasting peace as indirect talks with Israel to reach an agreement over the implementation of the first phase of Trump’s peace plan for Gaza enter the third day.

Sharm El-Sheikh

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Paris

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Israel is pressing forward with its attacks across the Gaza Strip. 
Its forces have targeted displaced families in Khan Younis, killing a mother and her children. Several Palestinians have also been killed in a strike on Al Shati refugee camp, in Gaza City.

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Palestinian solidarity demonstrators have marched through Mexico and Chile’s capitals, demanding their governments sever diplomatic ties with Israel. The protests mark the second anniversary of Israel's war on Gaza.

Mexico City

Palestinian solidarity protests sweep Latin America

National Guard troops are preparing to be deployed to Chicago. Members of the Texas National Guard arrived just outside the city on Tuesday. The move is being criticized as an abuse of presidential authority.

Chicago

National Guard troops preparing to deploy in Chicago

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to the White House, where he promised to treat Canada fairly in trade talks, but was less committed to a continental trade deal that also includes Mexico.

Global Tariffs

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From Tel Aviv to the Nova Music Festival site, Israelis gathered to remember those who were killed in the October 2023 Hamas attack.

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Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Comedy Festival is attracting global stars including Dave Chappelle, Pete Davidson and Kevin Hart, with reports that some are being paid more than $1 million each. The event is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's push to rebrand the conservative kingdom through sports and entertainment.

Riyadh

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Three U.S.-based scientists have won the Nobel Prize in physics for their work on quantum mechanics. The physics award is the second 2025 Nobel Prize to be announced this week.

Three U.S.-based scientists win Nobel Prize in physics

As the war in Gaza reaches its two-year mark, Israel and Hamas continue negotiations in Egypt. Talks are centered on a proposed ceasefire deal, which includes a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a hostage-prisoner exchange.

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Israel has deported activist Greta Thunberg along with 170 others who were detained after Israeli forces intercepted a flotilla attempting to deliver aid to Gaza last week. Some of those deported in recent days have reported mistreatment, allegations that Israel has denied.

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Leaders in the U.S. state of Illinois are taking President Donald Trump to court, looking to stop the deployment of hundreds of National Guard troops to the streets of Chicago. The White House argues that soldiers are needed to prevent so-called lawlessness.

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French President Emmanuel Macron has given Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu 48 hours to stabilize the government following his sudden resignation. Lecornu stepped down hours after naming his cabinet, amid criticism and growing political instability in a parliament without a clear majority.

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Microchip maker AMD got a huge boost in the race to supply the artificial intelligence revolution. OpenAI, the company behind major AI platform ChatGPT, announced a deal for AMD to provide the AI startup with its high-performance processing chips starting next year.

Santa Clara

Rise of AI

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It's a race against time to save the remaining 200 or so stranded climbers on Mount Everest after a massive storm dumped at least three feet of snow over the weekend.

Trump says Israel hostages to be freed early next week

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