Israel has signaled tentative agreement to President Trump’s Gaza peace plan, announcing that it is “making preparations for the immediate implementation of the first phase,” which centers on the release of hostages.
“We will continue to fully cooperate with the president and his team in order to end the war in accordance with the principles that Israel laid out and which are in line with President Trump’s vision,” an Israeli government statement said, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, Trump’s engagement with Hamas over the peace plan appears to be influencing developments on the ground. Israeli Army Radio reported that the government has directed military leaders to halt their planned invasion of Gaza City. The directive reportedly instructs commanders to limit operations in Gaza to strictly defensive measures and reduce overall activity “to a minimum.”
This effectively pauses Israel’s military plan to occupy Gaza City and relocate its residents, the station added.
Earlier on Friday, reports suggested Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was caught off guard by President Trump’s statement welcoming Hamas’s tentative agreement to release hostages — a deal still dependent on further talks about a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
While President Trump praised what he called Hamas’s “acceptance” of his peace plan, Netanyahu reportedly told aides he saw the group’s statement as a rejection of the president’s proposal, Axios reported. Hamas indicated willingness to release Israeli hostages — both living and deceased — as Trump demanded, but refused to commit to disarmament or surrender control of Gaza to an international authority.
The Palestinian group also rejected a key provision in Trump’s 20-point peace framework requiring the release of all Israeli hostages within 72 hours.