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Netanyahu faces far-right backlash as Trump presses to end Gaza war

By Alexander Cornwell

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -A rift within Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition is emerging as a flashpoint in efforts to end the war in Gaza, threatening to derail a U.S. push to reshape the political landscape of the Middle East.

Under pressure from Donald Trump to end the two-year-old war, Netanyahu is facing a backlash from ultra-nationalist allies whose opposition to the U.S. president's Gaza proposal could force the Israeli leader into early elections.

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up as he welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 29, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

Israel deports 29 more Gaza aid flotilla activists

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel has deported a further 29 activists detained by the navy last week for taking part in a flotilla that sought to deliver aid to blockaded Gaza, the foreign ministry said on Sunday.

The flotilla, which set sail in late August, marked the latest attempt by activists to challenge the Israeli naval blockade of the territory where Israel has been waging an offensive since Hamas' October 2023 attack. Israel says that the blockade is legal and has called the flotilla a provocation.

An intercepted vessel from the Global Sumud Flotilla moves towards Ashdod Port, after Israel intercepted some of the vessels of the Flotilla aiming to reach Gaza and break Israel's naval blockade, in southern Israel, October 2, 2025. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

Hundreds of thousands protest in Amsterdam against Gaza war

By Charlotte Van Campenhout

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -Hundreds of thousands of protesters marched through Amsterdam on Sunday, calling for the Dutch government to take a tougher stance against Israel'swar in Gaza.

Organisers estimated that around 250,000 people joined the demonstration - a figure supported by local police. Most wore red to signal their support for a symbolic "red line" against Israel's siege of Gaza.

Pro-Palestinian protesters gather at Museumplein ahead of a 6 km march through the city as part of a protest demanding a tougher stance from the Dutch government against Israel's war in Gaza, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, October 5, 2025. REUTERS/Charlotte Van Campenhout

Rubio says Gaza war not yet over, priority is to get hostages out

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The war in Gaza has "not yet" ended,U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday, describing the release of the hostages held by Hamas as the first phase, while details on what happens after that still need to be worked out.

He said Hamas had "basically" agreed to President Donald Trump's proposal and the framework for releasing the hostages, while meetings were underway to coordinate the logistics of that.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on ahead of a meeting at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 22, 2025. REUTERS/Bing Guan/Pool

Mourning and shock in Morocco after student killed in protests

Like many in Morocco, Abdelkabir Oubella had been watching videos of protests unfold across the country, but nothing could prepare him for the shock of discovering that his son was among three shot dead in the unrest.

For more than a week, Morocco has been shaken by daily protests led mostly by young people demanding reforms in the North African country's struggling health and education systems.

A mourner grieves by the casket of Abdessamad Oubella, a young man killed in the village of Lqliaa near Morocco's southern city of Agadir during protests called for by the GenZ 212 collective

Pope hopes Gaza plan achieves 'desired results' soon

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Leo hopes that a plan to end the war in Gaza would soon reach the "desired results", he said on Sunday after acknowledging the significant steps made in negotiations to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Speaking during his weekly Angelus prayer, the pontiff asked all relevant parties to commit to the peace process, emphasising the urgent need to end the conflict and establish a "just and lasting peace".

Pope Leo XIV speaks as he appears to lead the weekly Angelus prayer, at the Vatican, September 21, 2025.   Vatican Media/Mario Tomassetti/Handout via REUTERS

Robbie Williams Istanbul concert cancelled over safety concerns, singer says

ANKARA (Reuters) -British singer Robbie Williams said city authorities called off his upcoming Istanbul concert “in the interests of public safety” after Turkish NGOs and social media users campaigned for the event to be cancelled and protested against his appearance.

The October 7 concert was scheduled to take place on the second anniversary of the Hamas attack on southern Israeli communities that led to Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.

Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Final - Chelsea v Paris St Germain - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S. - July 13, 2025 Robbie Williams performs before the match REUTERS/Lee Smith

Eight arrested, 20 police hurt in clashes at Spanish Palestine march

MADRID (Reuters) -Eight people were arrested and 20 police officers injured in clashes between pro-Palestinian protesters and police in Barcelona, police said on Sunday.

Demonstrators vandalised shops, which they claimed had links to Israel, during a mainly peaceful march of 70,000 protesters on Saturday, police said.

A demonstrator throws an object at a Carrefour shop, as people attend a pro-Palestinian protest condemning Israeli forces' interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla vessels which were aiming to reach Gaza and break Israel's naval blockade, in Barcelona, Spain, October 4, 2025. REUTERS/Lorena Sopena

UK police to get new powers after latest pro-Palestinian protest

LONDON (Reuters) -British police will be given powers to restrict repeat protests in the same place, the government said on Sunday after a latest pro-Palestinian demonstration went ahead despite requests to cancel it in the wake of a deadly attack at a synagogue.

The new powers will allow senior police officers to consider the cumulative impact of previous protests on a local community, the interior ministry said.

Police officers detain a protester during a mass demonstration organised by Defend our Juries, against the British government's ban on Palestine Action, at Trafalgar Square in London, Britain, October 4, 2025. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Israel strikes Gaza as Palestinians pin hopes on Trump's Gaza plan

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

CAIRO/GAZA (Reuters) -Israeli planes and tanks pounded areas across the Gaza Strip overnight and on Sunday, destroying several residential buildings, witnesses said, as Palestinians desperately awaited implementation of a U.S. plan to end the war.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who had called for an end to the bombing, said on Saturday on his Truth Social platform that Israel had agreed to an "initial withdrawal line" inside Gaza and that "when Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective."

Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on Saturday, on a house in the Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City October 5, 2025. REUTERS/Ebrahim Hajjaj