Hamas is ready to reconcile with Israel, according to US President Donald Trump, who has ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza. Hamas accepted some of Trump’s peace proposals, including the release of all Israeli prisoners, after the order was issued. Trump thanked Arab nations for their assistance in putting an end to the conflict.
Published On 4 Oct 2025
The judiciary said on its Mizan website on Saturday that the death sentence for six separatist terrorist elements, who have recently carried out a number of armed operations and bombings against security in Khuzestan province, was carried out at dawn today.
list of 3 itemsend of list
Not immediately known were the names of all those who had been arrested or sentenced.
However, Mizan confirmed that they were responsible for the 2018 and 2019 killings of four security personnel, including two police officers and two members of the Basij paramilitary force.
Additionally, according to the report, they “concealed to planning and carrying out sabotage operations like bombing and destroying the Khorramshahr gas station.”
Iran frequently links Israel, its arch-nemesis, and what it refers to as “separatist and terrorist” organizations.
Authorities hanged Kurdish fighter Saman Mohammadi after pleading guilty to “Moharebeh,” waging a war against God, in a separate execution on Saturday.
Mohammadi, who was detained in 2013, is alleged to have been involved in the western city of Sanandaj’s armed robberies and kidnappings, including the murder of a conscript in 2009.
Iran executed Bahman Choobiasl, who was described as “one of the most important spies for Israel in Iran,” less than a week after the country’s statement.
Choobiasl was put to death for meeting with officials from the Israeli spy agency Mossad, according to Mizan.
Choobiasl had engaged in “sensitive telecommunications projects,” according to Mizan.
The defendant’s appeal was denied, and Iran’s Supreme Court’s sentence was confirmed, according to the statement.
Iran has executed numerous people it claims to have links with Mossad and helped it conduct its operations there.
Iranian airstrikes on Israel’s offensive in June included 12 days of airstrikes, some of which targeted Tehran’s top generals and nuclear scientists as well as civilians in residential areas. Iran then retaliated with a barrage of missiles and drones. During the conflict, US airs extensively on Iranian nuclear sites on Israel’s behalf. At least 1,100 people were killed by Israeli attacks on Iran, according to Amnesty International.
Iran has sentenced more people to death in response to the June war and recent protests involving the state of the economy, women’s rights, and some regime-change calls.
More than 1, 000 people were executed in 2025, according to the Oslo-based organization Iran Human Rights and the Washington, DC-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights, but Tehran does not yet report every execution.
The Palestinian organization stated late on Friday that it was prepared to release all of the Palestinians’ held prisoners and give control to other Palestinians, but that additional discussions were necessary.
list of 3 itemsend of list
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received “shock” from Trump after Hamas demanded that Israel “immediately stop bombing Gaza” and that he insisted Hamas be ready for “lasting peace.”
Later, Netanyahu’s office announced that the military was “preparing for the immediate implementation of the Trump plan for the release of all the hostages.”
A source at the Nasser Medical Complex told Al Jazeera on Saturday that an Israeli drone strike on a tent in al-Mawasi, southern Gaza, resulted in the death of two children and the injuries of several others.
The deaths are the first confirmed Palestinian deaths in Gaza since Trump’s order to “immediately” stop Israel’s bombing of the area was approved by Hamas.
The Israeli leader’s office added that it would continue to work with the US president to “end the war in accordance with the principles set out by Israel,” a likely nod to the White House’s decision to change its original strategy.
There are still some significant issues. Hamas’ key demand, which was included in Trump’s plan, was not made mention of disarming.
What some nations around the world have said in the comments section below:
The Gulf country, which has been at the center of the negotiations on Gaza, welcomed Hamas’s announcement to “agree to President Trump’s plan and its willingness to release all hostages as part of the exchange framework outlined in the plan.”
Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said on X: “We also affirm our support for the statements the president made that a quick ceasefire should be established to facilitate the safe and quick release of hostages and put an end to the bloodshed of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”
Egypt, another important player, stated that it hoped for a “positive development” and that it would work with Arab states, the US, and other European nations to achieve a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
The Palestinian group’s response, according to the Turkish government, “offers an opportunity for the immediate establishment of a ceasefire in Gaza.”
The PIJ claims that Hamas’ statement is consistent with other Palestinian organizations’ positions. In a brief statement on Telegram, the PIJ claimed to have “reached responsible participation in the consultations that led to this decision.”
According to spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the parties to “seize the opportunity to bring the tragic conflict in Gaza to an end” and praised the Hamas statement.
Trump’s “leadership” and “decisive progress” have been praised by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi tagged the US President’s X accounts in a post on social media, saying: “Indications of the release of hostages mark a significant step forward. India will continue to support all efforts to bring about a just and lasting peace.
The United States’ peace plan, according to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, is not perfect, and many of its provisions are even in disagreement with us. Our top priority is, however, to save the lives of the Palestinian people, he said, adding that the support from Arab and Islamic nations “is a collective step to end the bloodshed, reject expulsion, and give the people of Gaza the opportunity to return to their homeland.” “A ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages are in your hands”!
President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X, joining a chorus of hopeful European reactions to Hamas’s response. “The release of all hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza are within reach! Hamas’ commitment must be followed up without delay. We now have the opportunity to make decisive progress towards peace. France will play its full part in line with its efforts at the Nations Unified, alongside the United States, Israelis and Palestinians, and all of its international partners. I would like to thank President@realDonaldTrump and his team for their commitment to peace.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Trump’s “call upon both sides” was “the best chance for peace” in the conflict and that Germany “fully supports” it.
Sanae Takaichi is expected to become the country’s first female leader in its history, taking the place of Sanae Takaichi, who was elected to lead Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
After the first round of voting, neither of the five candidates had a majority in the lead-up to the election, so Takaichi won the election on Saturday. Shinjiro Koizumi, the son of former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi, won the vote.
list of 3 itemsend of list
If Koizumi had won, he would have been the youngest prime minister in more than a century.
Takaichi, 64, a former minister of economic security, leans in favor of the LDP’s right-wing agenda.
On October 15, the next prime minister’s election is scheduled to take place in parliament.
295 LDP members and about 1 million members who paid their dues were the only ones who took part in Saturday’s vote. Only 1% of the Japanese population was represented by it.
Since the LDP is still the largest party in parliament, Takaichi is expected to take over as prime minister Shigeru Ishiba. The LDP-led coalition will need support from opposition lawmakers to run a successful government after the recent elections, but neither chamber currently has majority control.
The party will likely seek to form a coalition with the moderate-centrist Komeito in partnership with at least one of the more centrist-focused key opposition parties.
A declining population, geopolitical upheaval, a faltering economy, and growing unease over immigration will all contribute to Takaichi’s election as prime minister.
However, she will first need to make sure that the LDP, which has been in power almost nonstop since 1955, can woo voters once more.
Koizumi had earlier criticized the state of the party as “crisis” and said “the LDP must regain trust.”
Sanseito, a populist movement that calls immigration a “silent invasion” and credits immigrants with causing numerous ailments, is one of the ups.
In their LDP campaign, Takaichi and Koizumi aimed to appeal to voters who were drawn to Sanseito’s comments about foreigners, whether they were immigrants or tourists.
Takaichi urged Japan to “reconsider policies that accommodate people from completely different cultures and backgrounds.”
Koizumi continued, “Local residents are worried about the worsening of public safety and the illegal employment of foreigners.”
In Japan, where only 3 percent of the population is born abroad, there is a rare instance of such alarmism from mainstream politicians.
In keeping with her mentor, former prime minister Shinzo Abe, Takaichi has previously supported aggressive monetary easing and large fiscal spending.
However, she moderated her campaign rhetoric, and China has also heard from the regular visitor to the Yasukuni war shrine.
Celebrations of a woman becoming Japan’s leader may quickly turn into disappointment because they are from the LDP’s traditionalist wing.
Tokai University professor Yuki Tsuji told the AFP news agency that Takaichi “has no interest in women’s rights or gender equality policies.”
Koizumi lacks depth and may have become unpopular with voters despite his charisma and contemporary image because he took paternity leave and surfs.
Koizumi is “good at displaying how reform-minded he is, but he’s not very good at debate,” according to Sadafumi Kawato, professor emeritus of the University of Tokyo, according to AFP.
Following Shigeru Ishiba’s resignation, Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will elect its fifth leader in five years on Saturday.
Following numerous political scandals and successive election defeats, the conservative party has been in disarray since almost continuously rule Japan since the 1950s.
list of 4 itemsend of list
In October of last year, the LDP and its junior coalition partner, Komeito, lost their governing majority in lower house elections, which was followed by a drubbing in the upper house elections in July.
Ishiba announced on September 7 that he would step down after nearly a year of helms a severely detested minority government.
Who succeeds the LDP will face opposition from the US President Donald Trump’s trade war, rising inflation, and rising populism.
Five candidates, ranging from the son of a former prime minister to Shinzo Abe’s protégé, will be chosen by LDP lawmakers and one million rank-and-file members.
According to Jeffrey Hall, a lecturer at Japan’s Kanda University of International Studies, their decision could determine whether Japan will experience political stability or continue on the course of the “rotating prime ministership,” which dominated Japanese politics in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
This is a bad time for Japan to lack stable political leadership, Hall told Al Jazeera, “Even though it’s not historically unusual for Japan to have a high turnover rate.”
Taking a look at the candidates:
Shinjiro Koizumi
One of the two front-runners in the race is Junichiro Koizumi, 44, the son of former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi.
He took over as agriculture minister earlier this year as the country’s beloved staple food, rice, was seeing a sharp increase in demand.
According to Kazuto Suzuki, a professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Tokyo, Koizumi’s work on Japan’s “rice crisis” has sparked a surge in public support.
Traditional LDP leaders and the party’s heart are supporting Mr. Koizumi. He is adaptable to the demands of older LDP values because he doesn’t have a specific policy position, Suzuki said.
Koizumi, who is perceived as a political moderate, has pledged to work with opposition parties to implement balanced policies aimed at economic growth and fiscal discipline.
Stephen Nagy, a visiting fellow with the Japan Institute for International Affairs, believes that despite his popularity, his relatively young age and educational background could prevent him from becoming the leader.
Toshimitsu Motegi, Yoshimasa Hayashi, and Takayuki Kobayashi, three of Koizumi’s rivals, graduated from Harvard and the more prestigious University of Tokyo, respectively. Koizumi attended Columbia University and Kanto Gakuin University.
According to Nagy, “educated pedigrees bring respect to society and the LDP, whether we like it or not.”
Sanae Takaichi
The only woman in the race and Koizumi’s main rival, Takaichi, 64, is currently in the lead.
Takaichi, a former economic security minister, is perceived as a “strong conservative candidate” by Nagy as Abe’s former protege.
According to Sota Kato, research director at the Tokyo Foundation, all candidates have put forth broadly similar expansionary policies in order to revive Japan’s economy after decades of stagnation.
Kato told Al Jazeera that Takaichi is “closer in stance” to “Abenomics,” her mentor’s three-pronged strategy of fiscal expansion, monetary easing, and structural reform.
Takaichi is well-known for having conservative views on issues like immigration and same-sex unions, as well as on international issues like China-Japan relations.
Although her views have won her over the LDP’s conservative wing, they disagree with more centrist members.
Some people believe she will sway more centrist voters away, according to Nagy, while others think it’s exactly what the LDP needs from opposition parties like Sanseito.
According to Kato of the Tokyo Foundation, Hayashi, 64, is regarded as the “dark horse” of the election due to his wealth of knowledge and amicable personality.
Hayashi is campaigning for an economic policy that emphasizes fiscal discipline while currently serving as the chief cabinet secretary. He previously held prominent positions, including minister of foreign affairs and defense chief.
He is perceived as a political centrist, just like Koizumi.
In contrast to figures like Koizumi or Takaichi, Hayashi offers a sense of stability, according to Kato.
His chances of winning may increase if he receives more votes than Koizumi or Takaichi in the first round of voting.
Hayashi argued that Japan should work with “like-minded” democratic nations to counteract China, Russia, and North Korea while citing his extensive ministerial experience during the campaign.
Toshimitsu Motegi
Motegi, 69, previously served as the LDP’s secretary-general and held the positions of economy, trade, and industry.
His policies include incentives to encourage investment, wage increases for nurses and childcare workers, and price reductions for gasoline and diesel.
According to Kato of the Tokyo Foundation, his economic policies “fall somewhere between” Takaichi and Koizumi’s, who have placed more of an emphasis on fiscal discipline than their more traditional rivals.
Motegi and Hayashi both have factional backing within the LDP, but Suzuki, a student at the University of Tokyo, believes that this may not lead to enough votes to win the leadership position.
Although Mr. Motegi and Mr. Hayashi are well-versed in politics, they still support the traditional LDP. They have some party support, he said, but the general public doesn’t know about them.
![Former LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi speaks during the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Presidential Election Candidate Debate at Japan National Press Club in Tokyo, Japan, on Sept. 24, 2025. [Jia Haocheng/Pool via REUTERS]](https://i0.wp.com/www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-09-24T071026Z_1195499539_RC24YGA68GXE_RTRMADP_3_JAPAN-POLITICS-1759204230.jpg?w=696&ssl=1)
Takayuki Kobayashi
Former LDP leader Takayuki Kobayashi, 50, is also a former minister of economic security.
His platform has a strong emphasis on promoting economic growth and assisting citizens with living expenses.
Kobayashi has the backing of many younger LDP members, but Nagy believes that his youth and background could be a hindrance.
Kobayashi is regarded as very accomplished, intelligent, and internationally thought-provoking, but he is still too young to compete with the LDP’s 80-year-old sharks, he claimed.
Suzuki of the University of Tokyo echoed his opinion.
Mr. Kobayashi has been a rising star in his field, but he is not yet well-known enough, Suzuki said.
Motegi, Hayashi, and Kobayashi have excellent political acumen and sharp discussion skills, but this party leadership contest doesn’t address these traits. The LDP’s popularity and revival are its most crucial factors, he continued.
Mohammed Ahmad Ansari has spent his entire life in Varanasi, India’s notoriously spiritual capital and the home of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the congested and narrow streets of the city.
The 55-year-old has spent decades weaving Banarasi saris, which are renowned for its blend of Hindu-Muslim culture with the clacking sounds of handlooms at work in the holy city, which is widely believed to be India’s oldest settlement, dating back as early as 1800 BCE.
list of 4 itemsend of list
However, sales have recently been negatively impacted by a variety of factors, most recently the tensions between India and Bangladesh, its neighbor.
Since August last year, when former prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to New Delhi from Dhaka after an uprising against her rule, diplomatic relations between the once-close allies have been severely hampered.
Modi’s support for Hasina when she was in power was credited with some of Bangladesh’s issues, including those attributed to India.
Since her overthrow, there have been a few attacks on religious minorities, including Hindus, because those groups were seen as Hasina supporters. Additionally, Bangladesh’s businesses have been boycotted or attacked because the country demands that Hasina be charged with a crime in her home country.
Bangladesh imposed a ban on the importation of certain Indian goods, including rice and yarn, in April. India responded by outlawing the import of ready-made clothing and processed food products from Bangladesh across international borders on May 17. Bangladesh will need to use the more time-consuming and expensive sea route even though it can still send its saris to India.
It can often take up to six months to weave a single sari due to their exquisite craftsmanship, luxurious silk, and meticulous zari work of fine gold and silver wire embroidery. Depending on the design and the material used, these can fetch 100, 000 rupees ($1, 130) or more.
These saris are popular in Bangladesh during holidays and weddings, but the ban has caused business to decline by more than 50%, Ansari claimed.
This is the most recent blow to the industry, which has already experienced previous government actions, including the so-called “demonetisation,” which saw India overnight invalidate high-value notes and a rise in power tariffs, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic and less expensive competition from saris made on advanced power looms in other parts of the nation, particularly Surat in Gujarat in western India.
Weavers have been forced out of the industry by this onslaught over the past few years, cutting their numbers by half to about 200, 000 as they have since moved elsewhere or taken up driving rickshaws to make a living.
Since the change of the regime in Dhaka, wholesale sari trader Pawan Yadav, 61, has caused the industry to be at a standstill, according to Al Jazeera.
“We used to supply Bangladesh with about 10,000 saris annually, but everything has stopped,” Yadav said, adding that clients in the neighboring nation still owe him 1.5 million rupees ($17, 140), “but the political unrest seems to be making things impossible.”
India has 108 documented sarees, making them famous globally for their intricate designs, vibrant colors, and timeless elegance and beauty.
Despite the current upheaval, more than 3.5 million people work in the textile industry, according to government data, making it the second-highest occupation in India. The sari industry is estimated to be worth about 80 000 crore rupees ($9,0 billion), with some $ 300 million in exports.
The government of Varanasi is waiting for the prime minister to resolve the trade dispute with Bangladesh, which was the result of Modi’s third consecutive election in parliament.
The Modi government announced in 2015 that August 7 would be celebrated as National Handloom Day and that domestic goods would be promoted as domestic goods. According to traders and weavers who spoke to Al Jazeera, nothing significant has yet been said about.
Without enough businesses or reliable income, many artisans have been forced to abandon the trade, and now it’s difficult to even find a young weaver, according to Ramesh Menon, the founder of Save the Loom, a social enterprise working for the revival of handloom. “India has a unique handloom craft that no country can compete with.” The need is to reposition handloom as a luxury rather than poverty.
West Bengal, which is located about 610 kilometers (380 miles) north of Varanasi and along the Bangladeshi border, has a completely different situation.
The ban on Dhaka’s saris trading between the two nations has given Bengal’s cotton sari traders a new lease of life after they had been losing market share to Dhaka’s saris.
In Shantipur, West Bengal, Tarak Nath Das, a cotton sari trader for the past 40 years, distributes saris handcrafted by local artisans to various showrooms across the nation.
The 65-year-old was all smiles when business boomed in the weeks leading up to the main festival of Durga Puja, after years of suffering.
At least 30% of our market was consumed by Bangladeshi saris, and the local industry was losing. As orders start to pour in, we have gradually started to recapture our previous markets. According to Das, the sale of saris at the just-completed festival increased by at least 25% compared to last year.
More than 100 000 weavers and traders reside in Shantipur, which is considered to be the heart of eastern India’s sari trade. The town’s handloom weaving industry, which produces a wide range of saris, including the wildly popular Shantipur cotton sari, is well known in the Nadia district.
The nearby Hooghly and Murshidabad districts are also known for their cotton saris, which are both exported to Greece, Turkiye, and other nations.
Sanjay Karmakar, 40, a cotton sari wholesaler in the Nadia district, is pleased with the ban.
The local women prefer to purchase Bangladeshi saris because they come in attractive packaging and the fabric used there is slightly superior to ours, he said.
Sales had been slashed due to younger women choosing leggings, tunics, and other contemporary clothing over traditional saris, which was a result.
Fashion designer Santanu Guha Thakurta, 62, claimed that Bangladesh’s import restrictions would be beneficial for Indian weavers and traders. That also prevented cheap imitations of more expensive designs.