Israel has agreed to an “initial withdrawal line” in Gaza, President Donald Trump announced Saturday.
“After negotiations, Israel has agreed to the initial withdrawal line, which we have shown to, and shared with, Hamas,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
Hamas has not confirmed, the president added. But if Hamas does, the ceasefire will be effective “immediately” and the hostages and prisoner exchanges will begin, Trump continued, adding that “we will create the conditions for the next phase of withdrawal, which will bring us close to the end of this 3,000 YEAR CATASTROPHE.”
Trump had earlier warned “all hell” will break loose if an agreement is not reached by the end of Sunday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expanded on the plans. “Our goal is to limit the negotiations to just a few days. Trump made it clear: We will not tolerate stalling tactics or evasions,” Netanyahu said Saturday.
Netanyahu then laid out a multi-phase plan. First, Hamas will release the hostages while the Israeli military “maintains control of all of the dominant areas deep inside the strip,” he said.
Then, “Hamas will be disarmed and Gaza will be demilitarized. This will happen either through the diplomatic path by the Trump plan or through the military path, but it will be achieved,” the Israeli prime minister added.
On Friday, Trump called on Israel to “immediately stop the bombing of Gaza,” he wrote in a Truth Social post.
“Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly! Right now, it’s far too dangerous to do that,” Trump said.
Israel launched dozens of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip just hours after Trump called for an immediate ceasefire, Palestinian officials claimed. At least 36 people in Gaza have died since Trump’s demand.
Hamas said Friday it would agree to some aspects of Trump's plan to end the Gaza war, including releasing hostages and handing over administration of the enclave, but that it would seek negotiations over many of its other terms.
The group agreed “to release all Israeli prisoners, both living and dead, according to the exchange formula contained in President Trump's proposal”, so long as “the field conditions for the exchange are met.”
Hamas “appreciates the Arab, Islamic, and international efforts, as well as the efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump, calling for an end to the war on the Gaza Strip, the exchange of prisoners, [and] the immediate entry of aid,” the statement read.
As the war nears the second-year mark, demolished buildings and piles of rubble are almost ubiquitous in Gaza, satellite images show. The conflict has led to a humanitarian crisis in Gaza; more than one million people have been displaced and more than half a million are trapped in famine. Since the war began, 67,000 people in Gaza have been killed, the Gaza health authorities said this week.
The October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas in southern Israel killed around 1,200 people. There are 48 Israeli hostages remaining of 251 people who were taken — but only 20 of them are believed to be alive, Israel has said.
Four arrested over synagogue terror attack remain in custody
Netanyahu hopes to announce release of all hostages from Gaza ‘in coming days’
Police arrest almost 500 people over Palestine Action support
Families in Gaza hold breath over Trump’s peace plan to end bloodshed
Trump has announced peace in the Middle East - the devil is in the detail
‘Dozens’ of airstrikes on Gaza despite Trump call for Israel to stop bombing
