April 10, 2025 - October 7 War, Day 552 - 59 Hostages remain in captivity  

• Prime Minister Netanyahu cut short a trip to Hungary to visit the White House on Monday. He is the first foreign leader to meet with Trump since the president announced wide-ranging tariffs on imports, including 17% on some Israeli goods. 
  
• The meetings were expected to focus on the tariff policy, the war in Gaza and the hostages, of whom 59 are still in captivity, and Turkey’s rising influence in Syria.
  
• Trump gave no assurances to Netanyahu about tariff relief, but later in the week did an about face and dropped the tariff levels across the board to 10% (excluding China). The Manufacturers Association of Israel projected that 17% tariffs would result in a $2.3 billion economic loss for Israel’s economy. 
  
• At their White House meeting, Trump made a surprise announcement that the US was entering into direct negotiations with Iran regarding its nuclear program, beginning this Saturday (on the eve of Passover). 
  
• Netanyahu has said that only a deal that leads to the destruction of the nuclear facilities would be acceptable. Trump has threatened that if no deal is reached, Israel would strike the nuclear sites. 
  
• Iran has confirmed the talks, but insists they will not be direct; they announced that they will be held in Oman and will be mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi and led by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
  
• Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who has visited Israel more than 100 times, was confirmed as the US Ambassador to Israel by a 53-46 Senate vote, with John Fetterman (D-PA) casting the lone Democratic vote.

• Hamas officials said that they will not evacuate hostages in areas the IDF is targeting and will blame Israel for any deaths of hostages.
  
• On Friday, one terrorist who aided in the abduction of Shiri Bibas and her two sons, Ariel and Kfir, was eliminated by the IDF. This terrorist likely took part in the Bibas’ murders as well.
  
• The Hostages and Missing Families Forum published a report regarding the conditions of the 24 remaining living hostages. The findings highlight severe malnutrition, extreme mental and physical abuse, and emergent medical conditions and injuries of the hostages. The information was collected by released hostages’ testimonies, Israeli intelligence, and Hamas propaganda videos.
  
• As public pressure mounts in Israel to finalize a deal, Egypt proposed a compromise between Israel and Hamas’s demands, proposing the release of eight hostages freed in increments.