Hamas has officially responded to a Gaza peace plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, signaling a potential, though incomplete, step toward ending the nearly two-year conflict. According to multiple news outlets on Friday, October 3, 2025, the group has accepted several key components of the U.S.-backed framework but maintains that other elements require further negotiation. The response comes after President Trump outlined the proposal and an apparent deadline for its acceptance.

In its statement, Hamas expressed a willingness to agree to some of the most significant demands within the plan. This includes the release of all remaining Israeli hostages, both living and deceased. Furthermore, the group has reportedly agreed to relinquish its administrative power over the Gaza Strip, a central aspect of the proposed deal aimed at establishing a new governing structure for the enclave. This conditional agreement on core issues marks a notable development in the ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Despite agreeing to these foundational parts of the plan, Hamas clarified that its acceptance is not unconditional and that other aspects of the proposal are not yet settled. The group has indicated that more talks are necessary to finalize a comprehensive agreement. While specifics on the points of contention were not fully detailed, reports suggest that the acceptance of the hostage release is contingent upon "the field conditions for the exchange" being met.

The response from Hamas puts the focus back on international mediators and the U.S. administration. President Trump has stated that if Hamas does not fully agree to the plan, Israel would have American backing to continue its military operations to "finish the job." The international community now watches to see if further negotiations can bridge the remaining gaps before the reported Sunday evening deadline.

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Plus: Shutdown Drags On, Hamas Responds to Trump Plan, and Markets Hit New Highs, and more.

Global Update: Shutdown Drags On, Hamas Responds to Trump Plan, and Markets Hit New Highs, and more.

A U.S. government shutdown is expected to continue into next week after the Senate failed to pass a funding fix, leading to widespread disruptions for federal services, military families, and economic reporting (Insider Paper). Meanwhile, significant developments have emerged in the Gaza conflict, with Hamas responding to a peace proposal from President Trump. On the economic front, Wall Street saw record gains driven by optimism around artificial intelligence.

U.S. Government Shutdown Cripples Services

The ongoing government shutdown has had far-reaching consequences. The Senate has yet to end the stalemate, with senators preparing for a fourth vote on a funding solution (Insider Paper). The shutdown has also impacted President Trump's administration, which has frozen federal aid for Chicago-area transit projects (Reuters). Democrats view the shutdown as a pivotal moment, with their base pushing for stronger action against Trump and insisting on renewed ACA tax credits as a condition for reopening the government (Axios).

The shutdown's effects are being felt across various sectors:

• Military Families: New funding approvals for the MyCAA tuition assistance program for military spouses have been halted since September 30 (Military Times). For troops facing missed paychecks, financial institutions and non-profits like USAA, Navy Federal, Army Emergency Relief, and the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society are offering 0% interest loans (Task & Purpose).
• Military Operations: The Army was forced to cancel its annual Best Squad competition, which had been scheduled for Fort Bragg, NC. Officials are exploring options to reschedule the event (Task & Purpose).
• Economic Data: The shutdown has delayed the release of official jobs reports, forcing the Federal Reserve to rely on private data. Initial private reports for September indicated stalled hiring and a softening job market, despite strong business investment and consumer spending (Axios).

Developments in Gaza Peace Plan and Regional Tensions

Hamas has submitted its response to President Trump's Gaza peace plan, offering to release all hostages in exchange for a complete end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza (Axios). While reports indicate Hamas has agreed to certain aspects of the plan, it is seeking further negotiations on other points (Reuters, Al Jazeera and Reuters).

Trump's proposal reportedly included the release of 48 hostages for 1,950 prisoners within 72 hours, a timeline Hamas called unrealistic due to the difficulty of locating bodies (Axios). President Trump has issued a Sunday night deadline to Hamas for a deal (Reuters).

In related regional events:

• The Israeli military intercepted the 40-vessel Global Sumud Flotilla, which was heading to Gaza. Israel claimed the boats carried activists but no aid, while the GSF asserted its ships had humanitarian supplies and called the interception illegal (Fox News, Reuters).
• The flotilla's treatment sparked mass protests and a large-scale strike across Italy, where demonstrators condemned the interception and Prime Minister Meloni's stance (Insider Paper).
• The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon reported that the Israeli army dropped grenades near its peacekeepers (Insider Paper).

Defense Policy and Military Operations

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued a series of memos instituting sweeping changes for the military. The new policies include stricter fitness and grooming standards with a focus on being clean-shaven and limited exceptions for religious exemptions. The memos also reduce certain training requirements, alter discrimination and fraud reporting, and overhaul the Inspector General process (Defense News, Military Times).

In military operations and procurement news:

• The U.S. conducted a fourth strike on an alleged drug vessel in the Caribbean, killing four people and bringing the total deaths from such operations to 21 since September 2. The Trump administration has cited narco-terrorism as justification for the strikes (Task & Purpose, Military Times).
• A U.S. Army memo has labeled a battlefield communication system developed by Anduril and Palantir as "very high risk" due to significant flaws (Reuters).
• The Army is moving forward with its Next Generation Command and Control (Next Gen C2) prototype, scaling it to the 4th Infantry Division through "Ivy Sting" exercises (Breaking Defense).
• The Air Force is prioritizing its Next-Generation Air-Refueling System (NGAS) for the mid-2030s, a move that will lead to more orders for Boeing’s KC-46 tanker as the sole immediate option (Breaking Defense).
• The Space Force has assigned its first set of seven critical NSSL Phase 3 launches, awarding five missions to SpaceX for $714 million and two to ULA for $428 million (Breaking Defense).
• The U.S. Marine Corps officially retired its Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV) fleet after more than 50 years of service. The vehicles are being replaced by the new Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) (The War Zone).

International Tensions Escalate

Global security concerns are rising on multiple fronts. Danish intelligence warns that Russia's "hybrid war" against NATO is escalating, citing threats to Danish forces, airspace violations, cyberattacks, sabotage, and drone sightings (The War Zone). Echoing these concerns, the head of UK Space Command stated that Russia is regularly attempting to jam British military satellites (Insider Paper).

Elsewhere, tensions are growing between the U.S. and Venezuela, with U.S. F-35s operating near the Venezuelan coast. In response, Venezuela has redeployed its significant air defense network, which includes Russian-supplied fighter jets and mobile surface-to-air missile systems (The War Zone). Security analysts also fear that Iran’s "shadow empire" of parallel military infrastructure across Syria and Iraq will grow stronger as the U.S. withdraws troops from the region (Fox News).

In Ukraine, a Russian drone attack on a farm in the country's northeast sparked a fire that killed 13,000 pigs (Insider Paper).

Economic & Market News

Wall Street benchmarks reached record highs, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 hitting new closing records. The surge was fueled by AI-driven optimism and signs of a cooling job market, which boosted hopes for interest rate cuts. The Nasdaq, however, eased slightly due to the performance of some tech stocks (Reuters).

The U.S. dollar has declined over several weeks amid fears of an extended government shutdown (Reuters). In commodities, oil prices rose but were still on track for a weekly loss as the market awaits OPEC's decision in November (Reuters). On the trade front, U.S. soybean farmers are seeking new importers after reduced purchases from China (Reuters).

In Other News

• Politics: Former Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) is seeking to reclaim her old House seat, setting up a rematch against Rep. Wesley Bell (D-Mo.). Bush was defeated in 2024 following a federal campaign finance probe, while Bell received significant backing from a pro-Israel PAC (Axios).
• Legal: A lawsuit has been filed challenging President Trump's new $100,000 fee for H-1B worker visas (Reuters). In Tunisia, a 51-year-old man was sentenced to death for Facebook posts deemed offensive to the country's president (Insider Paper).
• Industry: Nissan is recalling over 19,000 vehicles in the U.S. due to a fire risk associated with quick charging (Reuters). A large fire at Chevron's Los Angeles refinery has shut down its jet fuel unit (Reuters).
• Security: In the UK, an attacker named Jihad Al Shamie killed two people, Adrian Daulby (53) and Melvin Cravitz (66), in an attack on a synagogue using a car and a knife. Four others were injured, and the attacker was killed. During the response, one of the victims was accidentally shot by police (Fox News).

Today's VA Mortgage Rates

30-Year VA Loan Rates:

• 5.375% - Veterans United Home Loans (purchase rate)
• 5.375% - Navy Federal Credit Union
• 5.625% - USAA (purchase loan)
• 5.500% - Wells Fargo
• 5.490% - PennyMac
• 6.48% - Bankrate (refinance rate, national average)

15-Year VA Loan Rates:

• 4.875% - Navy Federal Credit Union
• 5.250% - Wells Fargo
• 5.000% - PennyMac

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