Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he hopes to announce the release of all hostages from Gaza “in the coming days”, as Israel and Hamas prepare for indirect talks in Egypt on Monday on a new US plan to end the war.
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In a brief statement on Saturday, Netanyahu said he had sent a delegation to Egypt “to finalise technical details,” adding that “our goal is to contain these negotiations to a time frame of a few days”.
But Netanyahu signalled there would not be a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, something Hamas has long demanded. He said Israel’s military would continue to hold territories it controlled in Gaza, and that Hamas would be disarmed in the plan’s second phase, diplomatically “or through a military path by us”.
The prime minister spoke after Hamas said it had accepted some elements of the US plan. President Donald Trump welcomed the militant group’s statement but on Saturday warned that “Hamas must move quickly, or else all bets will be off”.
Trump later said the ceasefire would begin immediately upon confirmation by Hamas on the “initial withdrawal line” in Gaza.
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Trump has also ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza. Some in Gaza City reported a notable easing of Israeli strikes on Saturday, though hospital officials said at least 22 people were killed, including women and children.