Middle East updates: Trump hints at imminent Gaza deal

US President Donald Trump said a deal to end the war in Gaza and to release the remaining hostages being held by Hamas could soon be agreed.

Speaking to reporters at the White House before leaving to attend the Ryder Cup golf tournament, Trump said, "it's looking like we have a deal on Gaza."

"I think it's a deal that gets the hostages back, it's going to be a deal that ends the war," the US president added.

He provided no timeline or any details about how the deal would be reached.

Trump is due to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday.

This week, White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said the US had circulated a peace proposal for the Middle East to officials from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Indonesia and Pakistan, who were gathered in New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

The US proposal to end the war in Gaza calls for all hostages still being held to be returned, no further Israeli strikes on Qatar and a renewed dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on "peaceful coexistence."

Whether Netanyahu would agree to that last point is doubtful. At the UNGA earlier on Friday, the Israeli leader roundly rejected any notion that Israel would tolerate a Palestinian state from being established, calling the suggestion "sheer madness" that would mean "suicide" for Israel.

The conflict in Gaza began after Hamas carried out a terror attack on October 7, 2023 on southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Around 48 hostages, only 20 of whom are still believed to be alive, are still being held captive in the enclave.

Israel's campaign in response has left much of Gaza in ruins and killed more than 65,000 people, according to health officials in the Gaza Strip.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has roundly rejected the notion that Israel will allow a Palestinian state, saying such a move would mean "national suicide."

Netanyahu also accused the Palestinians of not wanting a two-state solution, claiming that their "persistent [...] rejection of a Jewish state is the main driver of the conflict."

Read more about what Netanyahu said during his speech to the UN General Assembly in our live blog.

The Lebanese government has agreed to disarm non-state groups including Hezbollah but wants guarantees that Israel will withdraw. Israel says it will not deescalate until disarmament begins.

DW gained rare access to the frontline.

A resolution backed by China and Russia to avert "snapback" UN sanctions on Iran failed after the proposal did not garner enough support from the UN Security Council. The resolution would have delayed the sanctions on Iran for half a year until April 2026 to allow for further negotiations.

The draft was tabled after it only received four votes from the 15-member UNSC. It would have needed nine votes for the sanctions to be postponed.   

China and Russia are key allies of Iran who sit on the UNSC. Pakistan and Algeria also supported the proposal.

"We had hoped that European colleagues and the US would think twice, and they would opt for the path of diplomacy and dialogue instead of their clumsy blackmail, which merely results in escalation of the situation in the region," Russian Deputy Ambassador to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy said ahead of the vote.   

'Snapback' sanctions on Iran slated for early Sunday 

UK Ambassador to the UN Barbara Woodward said the sanctions will be imposed this weekend. 

"We stand ready to continue discussions with Iran on a diplomatic solution to address international concerns about its nuclear program. In turn, this could allow for the lifting of sanctions in the future," Woodward said. 

The UK, France and Germany are expected to impose sweeping sanctions on Iran early on Sunday.

The three Western countries, known as the E3, decided to go ahead with the sanctions due to concerns that Iran was not complying with the terms laid out in the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The UK, France and Germany are particularly concerned that Iran is enriching its uranium stockpile for purposes other than civilian use. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed that European countries "and the US have consistently misrepresented Iran's peaceful nuclear program." Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has characterized the decision to impose snapback sanctions as "unfair, unjust and illegal."  

Ahead of Monday's meeting with Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu struck a hard line on the Gaza war in his UN speech. Trump, by contrast, told reporters: "It's looking like we have a deal on Gaza."

What's behind his confidence? DW Middle East analyst Shani Rozanes points to the sticking points and the critical role of Arab nations in any Gaza ceasefire.

International doctors and nurses who treated Palestinians in Gaza report wounds more severe than those in other recent wars, according to a peer-reviewed study published in the British Medical Journal.

The UK-led survey of 78 humanitarian health workers — most from Europe and North America — cataloged more than 23,700 trauma injuries and nearly 7,000 weapon-related wounds during deployments between August 2024 and February 2025. Two-thirds of respondents had worked in other conflict zones, yet most called the injuries in Gaza "the worst they’ve ever seen," said lead author and British surgeon Omar El-Taji.

Over two-thirds of weapons-related injuries were from explosions — more than double the civilian rate in other modern conflicts and comparable to that of US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. The study also noted an unusually high share of third- and fourth-degree burns, often in children.

"The volume, distribution, and military grade severity of injuries, indicate patterns of harm that exceed those reported in previous modern-day conflicts," the study said.

El-Taji described patients arriving with burns so deep that "you could literally see their muscle and bone." The survey also found malnutrition and dehydration remained widespread amid UN-declared famine conditions.

Participants recounted dire scenes: Mothers pleading to save already-dead children, children voicing suicidal thoughts and medical teams forced to ration care with scant supplies. Researchers stressed the patient data covers only those who survived long enough to reach medical staff.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to the United Nations General Assembly will be broadcast into the Gaza Strip, his office has said.

"The Prime Minister's Office has directed civilian elements, in cooperation with the IDF, to place loudspeakers on the backs of trucks on the Israeli side of the Gaza border so that Prime Minister Netanyahu's historic UN General Assembly speech will be heard in the Gaza Strip," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.

It said the move was "part of the public diplomacy effort" and that Netanyahu had "expressly directed to make certain that this activity does not endanger IDF soldiers."

Israeli media reports citing soldiers, available footage and military sources on Friday, however, say the loudspeakers had been set up within Gaza — including some which are several kilometers into the besieged enclave.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have reportedly voiced their opposition to the move, according to Channel 12. One senior officer called the order an "insane idea", the left-leaning newspaper Haaretz reported.

Another source said the move was an act of psychological warfare, according to Haaretz.

The Financial Times has reported that former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is seeking a senior role in the administration of post-war Gaza, citing people familiar with the matter.

The paper added that Blair's name was put forth as the possible chair of a supervisory board called the "Gaza International Transitional Authority," which is being proposed under a peace plan developed by the US President Donald Trump administration.

Blair attended a meeting in late August presided over by Trump to discuss Israel's war in Gaza and post-war plans for the Palestinian territory.

In July, the Financial Times reported that the Tony Blair Institute had participated in a project to develop a post-war Gaza plan.

The think tank stated that none of its discussions with various groups regarding the reconstruction of Gaza had included the idea of forcibly relocating people from the area.

This wouldn't be Blair's first role as a mediator in the Middle East. He served as Middle East envoy for the so-called Quartet, made up of the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia from 2007 to 2015. His aim at the time was to bring economic development to the Palestinian territories and create the conditions for a two-state solution. 

Microsoft has said it disabled some services to a unit within the Israeli military following a company review.

The US technology company said it determined its artificial intelligence and cloud computing products had been used to help carry out mass surveillance of Palestinians.

It comes after news outlets The Associated Press and The Guardian published reports earlier in the year revealing how the Israeli Ministry of Defense had been using Microsoft's Azure platform to aid its ongoing war in Gaza.

Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith explained in a blog post that the company was now seeking to enforce compliance with the terms of the service it provides.

After AP's initial reporting in February, Microsoft acknowledged the Israeli military had purchased a large amount of advanced AI and cloud computing services. The tech company, however, said an internal review found no evidence its services were being used to target or harm civilians.

However, after The Guardian later revealed the Israeli military was using an AI-powered mass surveillance system to record phone calls by Palestinian civilians, the American company ordered an external review.

Although the results of that review are yet to be published, Smith explained the probe had uncovered evidence that its products were being used in violation of its terms of service.

An Israeli security official told AP that Microsoft's move would produce "no damage to the operational capabilities" of the Israel Defense Forces.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with several world leaders who are supporters of Israel ahead of his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.  

During a meeting with Netanyahu, Argentina's libertarian President Javier Milei urged the swift release of hostages who are being held by Hamas in Gaza. There are believed to be 48 hostages remaining in Gaza, with several Israeli-Argentine dual citizens among them.   

Milei is fond of Judaism and was seen crying during a visit to the Western Wall in 2024.  

Netanyahu also spoke with Serbian President Aleksander Vucic, where they discussed the situation of the hostages in Gaza. One of the hostages held captive by Hamas includes a dual Israeli-Serbian national, Alon Ohel.  

Conservative Paraguayan President Santiago Pena met with Netanyahu, calling it a "constructive conversation." 

"We are united by common principles and values, and we share the will to continue advancing in [a] positive relationship that promotes cooperation, investment and security for the benefit of our nations," Pena wrote on X. 

UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy deplored the situation in Gaza during his speech at the UN General Assembly in New York. 

"What is happening in Gaza is indefensible, it is inhumane, it is utterly unjustifiable and it must end now," Lammy said. 

Lammy said the UK "proudly" recognized Palestinian statehood. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the formal recognition of a Palestinian state on Sunday.      

Lammy asserted that both the Israeli and Palestinian people "deserve better."

"Better than the horrific acts by Hamas on October 7 that left children without their parents and parents without their children," Lammy said, referring to the Hamas terror attack on Israel in 2023. 

"Better than the fanatical rule by Hamas, a vile, pitiless terrorist organization that must have no future in Gaza," he continued, referring to the Islamist-miliant group which has controlled Gaza since 2007. 

"Better than Israel's denial of life-saving humanitarian aid and the catastrophic famine that it has caused," he added amid allegations that Israel has not done enough to help Palestinian civilians in Gaza

"As Israel escalates its military operations and displaces Palestinian families again and again and again, there can be no answer to those horrors but concerted diplomatic action to keep the hope of peace alive," Lammy said. Israel recently began a new offensive in Gaza City, drawing condemnation from the UK and many other Western allies.    

Israel claims that the mission of its ground assault on Gaza City is to wipe out the remaining strongholds of Hamas.

But the militant group has shown remarkable resilience over nearly two years of war and may even be gaining new recruits.

Warning: This report contains distressing images.

US President Donald Trump said he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank.

"I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, adding "It's not going to happen."

"There's been enough, it's time to stop," Trump said.

Israel has been occupying the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day war. The Palestinian Authority administers semi-autonomous areas in the West Bank.

Since 1967, Israel has been building settlements in the West Bank which are considered illegal under international law. Israel recently greenlit a controversial settlement project in the West Bank which would split the territory in two and hurt the prospects of a Palestinian state. 

Trump answered questions on the topic after a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss resolving the Gaza conflict.

Netanyahu has been facing pressure from right-wing allies to annex the Palestinian territory, prompting alarm and condemnation.

Trump met leaders and officials from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan on Tuesday to discuss the war in Gaza.

The meeting took place at the UN on the sidelines of the annual General Assembly.

"The Arab and Muslim countries made very clear to the president the danger of annexation of any type in the West Bank, and the risk that poses, not just for the potential of peace in Gaza, but also to any sustainable peace at all," Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud told reporters at the United Nations on Thursday.

Welcome to DW's coverage of the Middle East. 

Stay tuned for the latest news, on-the-ground correspondent insight and multimedia content pertaining to the region.

Today we are starting off with a look at the occupied West Bank, with US President Donald Trump staunchly opposing Israeli annexation of the territory. 

Later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak at the United Nations General Assembly after several Western countries recognized Palestinian statehood. Protests are expected as Israel's military offensive in Gaza continues.