Israel agrees to ‘initial withdrawal line’, awaits Hamas’ confirmation: Trump
Israel’s military is preparing to usher in the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan, according to a statement posted to X on Saturday. It’s the culmination of a week-long saga that could see the nearly two-year war finally brought to an end.
In a post to Truth Social on Saturday afternoon, Trump said that Israel “has agreed to the initial withdrawal line,” which was also shared with Hamas.
“When Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective, the Hostages and Prisoner Exchange will begin, and we will create the conditions for the next phase of withdrawal,” the U.S. president added.
More Palestinians killed as IDF readies 1st phase of peace plan
On Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) posted a statement to X, explaining that “the Chief of the General Staff instructed to advance readiness for the implementation of the first phase of the Trump plan for the release of the hostages.”
The announcement came hours after Trump called on Israel to “immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly!”
Although the IDF announced its intentions to stop bombing the Strip, at least nine Palestinians were killed and dozens more were injured in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City Saturday, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reports. Also on Saturday, the Gaza Health Ministry –– widely regarded by international observers as providing the most accurate casualty count in the region –– announced that the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 67,000.
The strikes are in line with other Israeli military statements made Saturday, including that Gaza City is “still under siege” and that areas across the enclave are still a “dangerous combat zone.”
“I appreciate that Israel has temporarily stopped the bombing in order to give the Hostage release and Peace Deal a chance to be completed,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Saturday. “Hamas must move quickly, or else all bets will be off.”
Hamas responds to peace plan
Hamas has until Sunday to agree to a peace proposal drafted by the Trump administration, something the militant group has already signaled its willingness to abide by. The agreement was first introduced by Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.
By Friday, Hamas had agreed to “some elements” of the plan. While the full details of what the militant group agreed to are not known, reports did confirm that it included the release of all remaining hostages, as well as its willingness to transfer governing power to a Palestinian body.
Hamas “affirms its readiness to immediately enter into negotiations through the mediators to discuss the details of this agreement,” the group said in a statement Friday, adding, “The movement also renews its agreement to hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of independents (technocrats), based on Palestinian national consensus and Arab and Islamic support.”
However, in line with Trump’s Sunday deadline, Hamas senior official Mousa Abu Marzouk said it would take longer than 72 hours to release the living hostages and the remains of those deceased. He claimed the deadline was unrealistic under the current circumstances.
Hamas stated that other issues in Trump’s plan would be discussed in a “unified Palestinian national framework in which Hamas will participate and contribute responsibly.” The group had previously expressed reservations about certain aspects of the plan, including relinquishing its weapons.
According to reports Saturday, Hamas’ approval of Trump’s plan also has the backing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. In a statement, the militant group, which holds some Israeli hostages, said, “Hamas’s [reaction] to Trump’s plan represents the position of the Palestinian resistance factions, and the Islamic Jihad participated responsibly in the consultations that led to this decision.”
Israel accepts Hamas’ response
Meanwhile, the plan also calls for Israel to stop its offensive, pull back from large parts of Gaza and permit a surge of humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts, along with the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
While Hamas gave the green light for a Palestinian body to govern Gaza, in Trump’s plan, the territory would fall under international governance overseen by the U.S. president and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. There is also no clear path toward a Palestinian state in Trump’s proposal.
“In light of Hamas’s response, Israel is preparing to immediately implement the first phase of Trump’s plan for the immediate release of all hostages,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement Friday. “We will continue to work in full cooperation with the President and his team to end the war in accordance with the principles set forth by Israel that are consistent with President Trump’s vision.”
Israel’s war in Gaza will enter its second year on Tuesday. The fighting was sparked following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led assault on Israel that killed about 1,200 people and saw another 251 taken hostage. The war has had a devastating impact, killing more than 67,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and displacing roughly 90% of the population.
“We were waiting for this good news. We were waiting for Hamas to accept and for our lives to become as nice as it was before, or even better,” a displaced Palestinian living in central Gaza, told Al Jazeera. “We hope for more good news to come, we hope to return to Gaza City.”
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
