Israeli soldiers are accused of setting fire to food, homes, and a critical sewage treatment plant in Gaza City in the wake of a ceasefire announcement, with troops reportedly calling the actions their "final touches." This report comes as preparations for a hostage release continue, with kidnappers stated to be at delivery points within the Gaza Strip. Over the past hour, new reports emerged detailing alleged mass arson by Israeli soldiers in Gaza City. Younis Tirawi and Yaniv Cogan reported on DropSiteNews that soldiers torched food, homes, and a sewage treatment plant, with troops referring to these actions as their "final touches." Concurrently, a hostage release is reportedly imminent, with the kidnappers positioned at delivery points in the Gaza Strip, according to renewed security field reports. In a separate incident earlier today, Israeli troops and police apprehended an armed suspect near the Herodion in the West Bank. During a search of the structure where the suspect was operating, forces discovered a "Carlo" submachine gun, a handgun, and ammunition. Meanwhile, a previous report from this morning detailed Hamas terrorists attacking the Dughmush family residences using ambulance vehicles, with one of those executed being a pregnant woman. The Qassam Brigades were reported to have attacked the Dughmush family with mortars and rocket launchers. Israeli forces have redeployed to the 'yellow line' in Gaza, a designation aligning with the border of the area's coastal sand dune from the 1960s, according to an aerial image. This redeployment leaves Gaza without the majority of its agricultural areas situated on fertile eastern soils. The Qatari al-Arab channel reported that Hamas's military wing will deliver "several spaces" to Israel tomorrow, a statement corroborated by previous reports indicating Hamas and other factions have finalized preparations for the release of Israeli hostages, expected to commence tomorrow morning. The Israeli government spokesman confirmed the IDF's retreat to the 'yellow line' in anticipation of this release, and Al-Jazeera reported the potential recovery of 28 bodies following the expected release of captives. In parallel, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson stated that the UK government has played a key role behind the scenes in diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, with former U.S. President Donald Trump's influence mentioned in relation to these efforts. U.S. President Donald Trump was scheduled to arrive in Israel today, October 12th, 2025, amidst indications of potential hostage releases. Handwritten notes attributed to Yahya Sinwar, dated 2022, were also published by the IDF, outlining guiding principles for a planned raid into Israel, detailing strategies for creating "terrifying imagery" and inciting violence.
