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* Israel pounds Gaza despite Trump's call for end to bombing * Palestinians wonder when Trump's Gaza plan will be implemented * Israeli and Hamas delegations head to Egypt * Israeli markets hit highs in sign of optimism (Updates date of Israeli delegation visit to Egypt in paragraph 5, updates Gaza death toll in paragraph 13) By Jasper Ward, Nidal al-Mughrabi and Alexander Cornwell WASHINGTON/CAIRO/JERUSALEM, Oct 5 (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that war in Gaza has not yet ended despite Israel and Hamas both agreeing to parts of President Donald Trump's plan for the strip, as Gazans called for its quick implementation to end their suffering. "We will know very quickly whether Hamas is serious or not by how these technical talks go in terms of the logistics," Rubio told NBC News' "Meet the Press" about the release of hostages from Gaza. Hamas had drawn a welcoming response from Trump on Friday by saying it accepted certain key parts of his 20-point proposal, including ending the war, Israel's withdrawal, and the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian captives. But the group left some issues up for further negotiation at talks in Egypt, as well as questions unanswered, such as whether it would be willing to disarm, a key demand from Israel to end the war. Israeli negotiators led by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer will travel to Egypt on Monday for talks on the release of hostages, a day before the war's second anniversary, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said. The talks will be held in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. A Hamas delegation, led by the group's exiled Gaza chief, Khalil Al-Hayya, was also expected to land in Egypt later on Sunday, to join representatives of the United States and Qatar for talks over the implementation of the most advanced effort yet to halt the conflict. AVOIDING A PHASED APPROACH An official briefed on the talks said the negotiations will focus on hammering out a comprehensive deal before a ceasefire can be implemented. "This differs from earlier rounds of negotiations which followed a phased approach, where the first phase was agreed and then required more negotiations to reach subsequent phases in the ceasefire," the official told Reuters. "These subsequent rounds of negotiations is where things broke down previously and there is a conscious effort among mediators to avoid that approach this time around." Rubio told ABC's "This Week" that a timeline for finalising a deal to release the hostages was uncertain but that talks "cannot take weeks or even multiple days. We want to see this happen very fast." HOPES FOR PEACE BUT STRIKES CONTINUE The plan has stirred hopes for peace among Palestinians but there was no let up of Israeli attacks on Gaza on Sunday as planes and tanks pounded areas across the enclave, killing at least 19 people, local health authorities said. Four of those killed were seeking aid in the south of the strip and five were killed in an airstrike in Gaza City in the early afternoon, they said. Shadi Mansour stood in the destruction left by an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza City suburb of Tuffah on Saturday, which killed his son Ameer, 6, and 16 other people. "Is he a member of the resistance? Is he a fighter? All the targets of the Israeli army are children," said Mansour. Ahmed Assad, a displaced Palestinian man in central Gaza, said he had been hopeful when news broke of Trump's plan but said nothing had changed on the ground. "We do not see any change to the situation, on the contrary, we don't know what action to take, what shall we do? Shall we remain in the streets? Shall we leave?" he asked. SOME IN ISRAEL OPTIMISTIC FOR END TO WAR In a sign of Israeli optimism over the Trump plan, the shekel currency hit a three-year high against the dollar and Tel Aviv stocks reached an all-time high. Some people in Tel Aviv shared that sentiment. "It's the first time in months that I'm actually hopeful. Trump has really instilled a lot of hope into us," said resident Gil Shelly. Domestically, Netanyahu is caught between growing pressure to end the war — from hostage families and a war-weary public — and demands from hardline members of his coalition who insist there must be no let-up in Israel's campaign in Gaza. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on X that halting attacks on Gaza would be a "grave mistake." He and Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have threatened to bring down Netanyahu's government if the Gaza war ends. But opposition leader Yair Lapid of the centrist Yesh Atid party has said political cover will be provided so the Trump initiative can succeed and "we won't let them torpedo the deal". RETURN OF HOSTAGES Under Trump's plan, all Israeli hostages, alive and deceased, would be released. Israel says 48 hostages remain, 20 of whom are alive. Trump said on Friday he believed Hamas had shown it was "ready for a lasting PEACE" and he called on Netanyahu's government to halt airstrikes in Gaza. Israel began attacking Gaza after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel in which some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's campaign, which has killed more than 67,000 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to Gaza health authorities, has led to its international isolation. (Additional reporting by Jaidaa Taha, Andew Mills, Mahmoud Issa, Miro Maman, Jasper Ward and David Morgan; Writing by Michael Georgy and Hatem Maher; Editing by Louise Heavens and Ros Russell)

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Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk signed a one-year, $1 million deal with the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. The 31-year-old veteran posted 40 points last season (one goal, 39 assists) in 82 games in his only season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was not offered a contract in the offseason. He did have opportunities for a player tryout agreement (PTO), however, and he chose to join rebuilding Chicago in training camp. Apparently, it paid off after three preseason game appearances. "I thought Gryz played good," Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill said after the preseason game on Friday, per The Athletic. "He's a solid player, he's smart, he moves the puck pretty good." Grzelcyk, a Massachusetts native, was selected by the Boston Bruins in the third round of the 2012 NHL Draft. He played for the Bruins from the 2016-24 seasons before joining the Penguins for the 2024-25 campaign on a $2.75 million contract. In 527 career games, he has 175 points (26 goals, 149 assists) and a plus-131 rating. –Field Level Media

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(Recasts throughout with details on hundreds of trekkers being rescued) SHANGHAI/BEIJING, Oct 5 (Reuters) – Hundreds of trekkers stranded by a blizzard near the eastern face of Mount Everest in Tibet had been guided to safety by rescuers, Chinese state media reported on Sunday, as unusually heavy precipitation including rain pummelled the Himalayas. As of Sunday, 350 trekkers had reached the small township of Qudang, while contact with the remaining 200-plus trekkers had been made, China Central Television (CCTV) reported. Visitors to the remote valley of Karma, which leads to the eastern Kangshung face of Everest, were in the hundreds this week, taking advantage of an eight-day National Day holiday in China. Snowfall in the valley, which lies at an elevation averaging 4,200 metres (13,779 feet), began on Friday evening and persisted throughout Saturday. The remaining trekkers will arrive in Qudang in stages under the guidance and assistance of rescuers organised by the local government, CCTV reported. Hundreds of local villagers and rescue teams had been deployed to help remove snow blocking access to the area, according to an earlier report by state-backed Jimu News. Jimu News estimated that nearly 1,000 people had been trapped. The CCTV report did not say if local guides and support staff of the trekking parties had been accounted for. It was also unclear if trekkers near the north face of Everest, also in Tibet, had been affected or not. The north face of Everest, due to its easy access by paved road, regularly draws large numbers of tourists. October is a peak season, when skies clear with the end of the Indian monsoon. Ticket sales and entry to the entire Everest Scenic Area were suspended from late Saturday, according to notices on the official WeChat accounts of the local Tingri County Tourism Company. To the south of Tibet in Nepal, heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, washed away bridges and killed at least 47 people since Friday. Thirty-five people died in separate landslides in the eastern Ilam district bordering India. Nine people were reported missing after being swept away by floodwaters and three others were killed in lightning strikes elsewhere in the country. (Reporting by Casey Hall in Shanghai and Ryan Woo in Beijing; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Louise Heavens)

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Oct 5 (OPTA) – Standings for the Eredivisie on Sunday P W D L F A Pts 1 Feyenoord 8 7 1 0 18 6 22 2 PSV 8 6 1 1 25 11 19 ………………………………… 3 Ajax 8 4 4 0 17 10 16 ………………………………… 4 AZ 8 4 3 1 17 12 15 5 Groningen 8 5 0 3 14 11 15 6 Twente 8 4 1 3 14 11 13 7 Fortuna 8 4 1 3 13 12 13 ………………………………… 8 NEC 7 4 0 3 21 13 12 9 Utrecht 8 3 1 4 15 10 10 10 Sparta 8 3 1 4 11 22 10 11 Go Ahead 7 2 3 2 13 13 9 12 Heerenveen 8 2 3 3 12 13 9 13 Volendam 8 1 4 3 9 13 7 14 Telstar 8 2 1 5 10 15 7 15 NAC 8 2 1 5 8 14 7 ………………………………… 16 Zwolle 8 2 1 5 7 15 7 17 Excelsior 8 2 0 6 7 17 6 ………………………………… 18 Heracles 8 1 0 7 7 20 3 1-2: Champions League preliminary round 3: Europa League preliminary round 4-7: Europa League play-off 16-17: Relegation play-off 18: Relegation

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(Updates throughout with fresh quotes, details and background) * Layoffs depend on shutdown negotiations with Democrats * Democrats demand healthcare assurances in shutdown talks * Next Senate vote on funding bill unlikely to pass By Andrea Shalal and Leah Douglas WASHINGTON, Oct 5 (Reuters) – The Trump administration will start mass layoffs of federal workers if President Donald Trump decides negotiations with congressional Democrats to end a partial government shutdown are "absolutely going nowhere," a senior White House official said on Sunday. As the shutdown entered its fifth day, White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told CNN's "State of the Union" program that he still saw a chance that Democrats would back down, averting a costly shutdown and federal employee layoffs that have been threatened by White House budget director Russell Vought. "President Trump and Russ Vought are lining things up and getting ready to act if they have to, but hoping that they don't," Hassett said. "If the president decides that the negotiations are absolutely going nowhere, then there will start to be layoffs. But I think that everybody is still hopeful that when we get a fresh start at the beginning of the week, that we can get the Democrats to see that it's just common sense to avoid layoffs like that." Trump described the potential job cuts on Sunday as "Democrat layoffs," telling reporters: “Anybody laid off that’s because of the Democrats.” NO SIGN OF TALKS There have been no tangible signs of negotiations between congressional leaders since Trump met with them last week. The shutdown began on Oct. 1, the start of federal fiscal year 2026, after Senate Democrats rejected a short-term funding measure that would keep federal agencies open through Nov. 21. "They've refused to talk with us," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told CBS' "Face the Nation" program, saying the impasse could be solved only by further talks between Trump and the four congressional leaders. Democrats are demanding a permanent extension of enhanced premium tax credits to help Americans purchase private health insurance through the Affordable Care Act and assurances that the White House will not try to unilaterally cancel spending agreed to in any deal. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said he is willing to address the concerns of Democrats but that they must first agree to reopen the federal government. Trump also expressed an interest in the healthcare question while emphasizing Republican interests in reforming the ACA, also known as Obamacare. "We want to fix it so it works. Obamacare has been a disaster for the people, so we want to have it fixed so it works," the president said. SENATE VOTE MONDAY Rank-and-file Senate Democrats and Republicans have held informal talks aimed at finding common ground on healthcare and other issues in hopes of reaching a deal to reopen the government. Asked if the lawmakers are any closer to a deal, Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego told CNN: "At this point, no." On Monday, the Senate is due to vote for a fifth time on the stopgap funding bill that has already passed the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and on a Democratic alternative. Neither measure is expected to receive the 60 votes needed to advance. With a 53-47-seat majority and one Republican opposed to the House funding bill, Republican leaders need at least eight Democrats to support the measure but have seen only three cross the aisle so far. "It's open up the government or else," John Thune told the Fox News program "Sunday Morning Futures." "That's really the choice that's in front of them right now," the South Dakota Republican said. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Leah Douglas; additional reporting by Jasper Ward, Raphael Satter and David Morgan; writing by David Morgan; editing by Michelle Nichols and Chizu Nomiyama)

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Oct 5 (OPTA) – Summaries for the Primeira Liga on Sunday (start times are WET) Arouca (0) 1 Scorers: A. Trezza 58 Yellow card: José Fontán 65, Fukui 69, Miguel Puche 79, José Fontán 84 (2nd), Mansilla 91 Subs used: Jansonas 55 (Barbero), van Ee 71 (Pablo Gozálbez), Miguel Puche 71 (David Simão), Dante 83 (Arnau SolÅ), Mansilla 83 (Djouahra) Famalicão (0) 1 Scorers: J. de Haas 86 Yellow card: Gil Dias 61 Subs used: Pedro Santos 67 (Mamageishvili), Joujou 67 (Sorriso), Abubakar 80 (Elisor), Rochinha 87 (Gil Dias) Referee: Luís Miguel Branco Godinho ……………………………………………………….. Rio Ave (16:30) Tondela ……………………………………………………….. Sporting CP (18:15) Sporting Braga ……………………………………………………….. Porto (20:15) Benfica ………………………………………………………..

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