Israel ready to implement Trump's Gaza peace plan, says Netanyahu | Updates

Israel said it is ready to start the first step of Trump's Gaza peace plan, after Hamas agreed to release hostages and discuss handing Gaza's control to a Palestinian-led body

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israel is ready to implement the first stage of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan aimed at ending the war in Gaza. His office confirmed that Israel would work “in full cooperation” with Washington on the initiative.  Israeli leaders have ordered the military to scale back attacks in Gaza as the country prepares to begin the first stage of Trump’s Gaza plan, following Hamas’ response, Reuters reported citing Israeli media.

 

The announcement came a day after President Trump called on Israel to stop its military campaign in Gaza. Trump’s directive followed Hamas’ statement that it had accepted parts of the US plan, including the release of all remaining hostages taken during the October 7, 2023 attack.

 

 

Hamas also signalled willingness to hand over governance of Gaza to an independent Palestinian technocratic authority, but said some points of the plan required more consultations. While Hamas accepted the hostage deal, the group did not meet Netanyahu’s demand for surrender and disarmament.     

 

Hamas says hostages will be freed

 

According to Al Jazeera, Hamas confirmed it would release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, under the US plan. “The movement affirms its readiness to immediately enter into negotiations through the mediators to discuss the details of this agreement,” Hamas said in a statement posted on Telegram.

 

Hamas said in its statement, shared by Trump on his Truth Social account: “Hamas appreciates the Arab, Islamic, and international efforts, as well as the efforts of US President Donald Trump, calling for an end to the war on the Gaza Strip, the exchange of prisoners, the immediate entry of aid, the rejection of the occupation of the Strip, and the rejection of the displacement of our Palestinian people from it."

 

The group added that other political issues related to Gaza’s future would be resolved within a broader Palestinian national framework, supported by Arab and Islamic countries.

 

Trump issues stern warning to Hamas

 

President Trump hailed the Hamas statement as a step toward peace but warned that the group was facing its “last chance.” In a post on Truth Social, he wrote, “Hamas has been a ruthless and violent threat for many years. As retribution for the October 7 massacre, more than 25,000 Hamas soldiers have already been killed. Most of the rest are surrounded and militarily trapped.”

 

He urged civilians in Gaza to evacuate, assuring that safe zones and humanitarian assistance would be available. Trump added that if Hamas rejected the deal, “all hell, like no one has ever seen before, will break out.” He set a deadline for Hamas to reach an agreement by Sunday evening (Washington DC time).   Trump further asked the Israeli military to stop bombing Gaza. "Based on the statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE. 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. We are already in discussions on details to be worked out. This is not about Gaza alone, this is about long sought PEACE in the Middle East," he wrote on Truth Social.

 

‘Not just about Gaza, but West Asia peace’

 

Framing the initiative as historic, Trump said the deal was not only about ending the Gaza war but also about achieving “long sought peace” in the wider West Asia. “All Arab and Muslim countries have signed on. Israel is signed on. We are just waiting for Hamas,” Trump told reporters.

 

He said the plan had global backing and marked the first time such broad consensus was achieved in the region.     

 

Conflict toll: Two years on

 

The war, approaching its second anniversary, began when Hamas-led militants stormed Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Around 66,000 Palestinians have been killed since then, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The offensive has displaced nearly 90 per cent of Gaza’s population, leaving large parts of the territory uninhabitable.

 

PM Modi welcomes progress

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the developments, calling the prospect of hostage releases “a significant step forward.”

 

In a post on X, he wrote, “We welcome President Trump’s leadership as peace efforts in Gaza make decisive progress. India will continue to strongly support all efforts towards a durable and just peace.”

 

Trump, in his own remarks, thanked world leaders for their support and said he looked forward to seeing hostages reunited with their families. “This is a very special day, maybe unprecedented in many ways. Everybody was unified in wanting this war to end,” he said.

 

(With agency inputs)