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The Israeli military said that a ceasefire in Gaza came into effect at 12 p.m. local time (5 a.m. ET), after Israel’s government approved the first phase of a deal intended to bring the war to an end. Israeli Defense Forces now have 24 hours (or until 1:20 a.m. Saturday local time) to withdraw to the agreed-upon lines inside of the Gaza Strip.

Israel and Hamas reached the landmark peace agreement, marking what President Trump described as the “first phase” of a broader peace plan aimed at ending the two-year conflict in Gaza and securing the release of the remaining Israeli hostages.

The deal was confirmed Thursday by Shosh Bedrosian, a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israeli and Hamas officials signed the peace deal agreement earlier Thursday in Egypt’s resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.  Upon Israel’s cabinet giving its formal approval, the Israeli military will begin pulling back its troops in Gaza to a mutually agreed-upon boundary, as outlined in the agreement. Phase one of the deal will see all remaining hostages returned from Gaza, a number of Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails and the partial withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces inside the strip.

The agreement comes almost two years to the day after the Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Israel that killed 1,200 people. Since then, more than 67,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

According to President Trump, all Israeli hostages still held in Gaza are expected to be freed ‘by Monday or Tuesday’ under the terms of the new accord. Trump said the agreement represented “the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.” Forty-eight hostages remain to be returned, of whom Israel says it believes 20 are still alive.

The president expressed gratitude to Qatar, Turkey and Egypt for helping to broker the peace deal, saying at the opening of his latest Cabinet meeting at the White House:  “As you know, last night we reached a momentous breakthrough in the Middle East, something that people said was never going to be done. We ended the war in Gaza and really on a much bigger basis created peace. And I think it’s going to be a lasting peace, hopefully an everlasting peace. Peace in the Middle East. We’ve secured the release of all of the remaining hostages and they should be released on Monday or Tuesday. Getting them is a complicated process, I’d rather not tell you what they have to do to get them .. That will be a day of joy, I’m going to try and make a trip over. Working on the timing, the exact timing. Going to go to Egypt, where we’ll have a signing, an additional signing.”

In Tel Aviv, crowds filled Hostages Square waving both U.S. and Israeli flags to celebrate the ceasefire and the breakthrough in negotiations. Many in attendance expressed gratitude toward President Trump for his role in facilitating the deal and helping bring an end to the long-standing violence.

Meanwhile, Intense and deadly Israeli attacks on Gaza City — the largest urban area in the Gaza Strip — and elsewhere in the devastated Palestinian territory continued into Thursday.

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The federal government remained shutdown for a ninth consecutive day on Thursday, with Democrats and Republicans still unable to agree on a plan to end the shutdown. The Senate once again failed to advance rival funding proposals, marking the seventh unsuccessful attempt to break the impasse. At the White House, President Trump accused Democrats of “using health care as a weapon” and warned he may cut certain programs if the shutdown continues.

The Senate voted against the GOP-backed bill, which would fund the government through Nov. 21, in a 54-45 vote. Democratic Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Nevada’s Catherine Cortez Masto, as well as Angus King of Maine, one of two independents in the Democratic caucus, again voted with Republicans as they have done on prior votes.

With the shutdown in its ninth day, the ramifications are mounting:

• Military families across the country are bracing for the possibility that their next paychecks might not come on October 15 as planned. House Speaker Mike Johnson has indicated that Republicans will not back a separate measure to ensure service members are paid during the shutdown. Meanwhile, Democrats argue that addressing military pay alone won’t be enough to resolve the broader government standoff.
• The shutdown’s effects are beginning to ripple through airports nationwide, with staffing shortages among air traffic controllers have already caused delays at several major travel hubs, leaving passengers frustrated and travel schedules in disarray.
• The IRS on Wednesday said that it was furloughing nearly half of its workforce because of the lack of funding by Congress.

Lawmakers showed no indication that they are open to yielding on their respective party’s demands; with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer expressing confidence in his party’s stance, emphasizing Democrats’ insistence on continuing health care subsidies, stating that “every day gets better for us” as negotiations drag on. Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson took questions from C-SPAN callers during a morning appearance. In response to a viewer frustrated about possible missed military paychecks, Johnson placed blame on Democrats, saying, “They’re the ones stopping you from getting your check.”

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The Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that a 29-year-old former Uber driver from Florida has been arrested and charged in connection with the Palisades Fire, one of the most devastating wildfires in Los Angeles history that killed a dozen people in the region earlier this year.  The fire is also responsible for burning more than 23,000 acres of land in the Pacific Palisades, Malibu and the Santa Monica mountains, according to Cal Fire, and more than 6,800 structures were destroyed.  The Palisade Fire was ignited the same day as the Eaton Fire, which burned more than 14,00 acres in Los Angeles County, destroyed more than 9,400 structures and killed 19 people, according to officials.

According to the DOJ, Jonathan Rinderknecht is accused of “maliciously” setting the blaze on January 1st, that killed twelve people before it was fully contained on January 31. Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California said in a post on X that Rinderknecht was taken into custody Tuesday near his home in Florida and charged with destruction of property by means of fire. A criminal complaint states that Rinderknecht will be charged with Destruction of Property by Means of Fire, with Essayli saying that additional charges may be added. The felony charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison, which could last as long as 20 years if convicted.

Authorities believe the Palisades Fire was a “holdover” blaze — a continuation of the Lachman Fire, which Rinderknecht allegedly ignited on New Year’s Day. Firefighters initially managed to extinguish the Lachman Fire, but according to a federal criminal complaint, smoldering embers remained underground. On January 7, as powerful winds swept through the area, the fire reignited and rapidly spread, transforming into the deadly Palisades Fire. Investigators ruled out other potential causes, including fireworks, lightning, and electrical equipment, concluding that none were responsible for the deadly blaze.

Investigators say Rinderknecht, who once lived in Pacific Palisades, had recently completed an Uber shift when he allegedly started the fire. Two of his passengers told authorities he appeared “agitated and angry” that night, according to the complaint. After dropping off a passenger in the neighborhood, Rinderknecht reportedly drove toward the Skull Rock Trailhead, attempted to contact a former friend, and then walked up the trail. Investigators say he took photos on his cellphone and listened to a song by a French artist whose music video featured fires being set, according to the Department of Justice. Around 11:47 p.m., Rinderknecht allegedly recorded two videos from the hilltop, showing no visible flames. Roughly 25 minutes later, at 12:12 a.m. on January 1, sensors detected a fire in the same area.

The complaint states that Rinderknecht tried calling 911 multiple times but was unable to connect because his phone had no signal. He eventually reached an operator and reported the blaze, around the same time a nearby resident also called in the fire. After making the report, Rinderknecht allegedly fled in his vehicle but soon turned around and followed fire trucks heading toward the scene. Around 1 a.m., he reportedly recorded additional videos showing firefighters battling the growing inferno, according to prosecutors.

Essayli said in a statement: “A single person’s recklessness caused one of the worst fires Los Angeles has ever seen, resulting in death and widespread destruction in Pacific Palisades. While we cannot bring back what victims lost, we hope this criminal case brings some measure of justice to those affected by this horrific tragedy.”

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Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty on Wednesday during his arraignment in federal court, facing charges brought after a very public campaign by President Trump urging prosecutors to take action against him. Comey’s attorney, Pat Fitzgerald, waived the formal reading of the indictment and requested a jury trial during the short court appearance.

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia indicted Comey last month on two counts — making false statements and obstructing a congressional proceeding. The indictment came shortly after Trump posted on his social media platform, demanding that Attorney General Pam Bondi charge Comey, saying, “We can’t delay any longer.”

Comey, a longtime registered Republican who previously served in the George W. Bush administration, became one of Trump’s most frequent targets after his actions helped trigger special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The Trump administration accuses Comey of lying to Congress about whether he had authorized a third party to anonymously brief the media about an FBI investigation. Comey testified in 2017 that he had not approved any leaks related to that probe and reiterated his statement during a 2020 Senate hearing, saying, “I stand by the testimony.”

Comey’s daughter, a former federal prosecutor who was dismissed from the Justice Department in July, attended the hearing to show support for her father, as well as his wife. The judge read the charges and said they carry a penalty of up to five years in prison with a $250,000 fine. During the proceedings, Comey spoke only once, responding politely when asked if he understood his rights: “I do, your honor. Thank you very much.” Those rights included his right to remain silent and right to legal counsel. Due to strict courtroom rules, no electronic devices were allowed inside the Alexandria courthouse, meaning news from the arraignment emerged only after the hearing concluded.

The court scheduled Comey’s trial for January 5, with both sides estimating it will last two to three days. Fitzgerald said Comey’s defense plans to file two main motions — one claiming the prosecution is vindictive and politically motivated, and another challenging the appointment of Lindsey Halligan, Trump’s former personal attorney, as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Fitzgerald described Halligan’s appointment as “unlawful.” He added that the defense would also file motions addressing what he called “grand jury abuse” and “outrageous government conduct.”

The charges came after Trump reportedly pressured the acting U.S. Attorney in Virginia to resign, paving the way for Halligan to take over the office. Halligan personally presented the case against Comey to the grand jury, an uncommon move for someone in her position. According to reports, Halligan initially sought three criminal counts, but the grand jury declined to indict on one. A majority of jurors agreed there was probable cause to charge Comey with making false statements and obstructing a congressional proceeding.

Comey’s trial will be overseen by U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff. Alongside Halligan, two additional prosecutors from a separate U.S. Attorney’s Office in North Carolina — Nathaniel Lemons and Gabriel J. Diaz — have been added to the case.

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