World waits for answer from Hamas on peace deal

(NewsNation) — The streets of Gaza were mostly empty Thursday as the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur was observed and the world waited for Hamas' response to a potential peace plan.

President Donald Trump has warned that Hamas has only a few days to respond to the deal, which he said would end the war in Gaza and facilitate the return of hostages.

The militant group has said it sees issues with some of the terms in the proposal — including the demilitarization of Hamas, as well as governance in Gaza going to the so-called "Board of Peace," which would be headed by Trump. A senior official told the BBC earlier this week that Hamas is "likely" to reject the plan.

"I can tell you that there are some very sensitive discussions that are taking place," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said this week. "We are very proud of that plan, and we hope Hamas will accept it because it will lead to a more peaceful and prosperous Middle East."

Some of those conversations were taking place between the emir of Qatar and Trump, and among other countries in the region, such as Egypt and Turkey.

Israel tells Palestinians to leave Gaza City, intercepts aid flotilla

Israeli officials have warned Palestinians not to reenter or remain in Gaza City as a military ground operation intensifies there.

Calling it the "last opportunity" to flee, Israel's defense minister on Wednesday said anyone who remains will be considered a militant.

Roughly 400,000 Palestinians have fled Gaza City since Israel launched an offensive last month, but there are hundreds of thousands more who remain, the Associated Press reported.

Israel's military forces also detained dozens of activists and intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla on Thursday. The flotilla, around 40 boats strong, was attempting to break Israel's blockade of Gaza and bring aid to its starving population.

Rockets were fired from Gaza into southern Israel on Thursday, underscoring how tense the situation remains.