Trump says Israel agreed to an ‘initial withdrawal line in Gaza’, awaits Hamas’s response

US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that Israel has agreed to an “initial withdrawal line” in Gaza, and Hamas’s response to the matter is currently awaited. “After negotiations, Israel has agreed to the initial withdrawal line, which we have shown to, and shared with, Hamas,” the American leader wrote in a post on his social media platform TruthSocial.

Meanwhile, Trump said that Hamas has not given a confirmation on the peace proposal as of now, but maintained that if Hamas does, the ceasefire will be effective “immediately” and the hostages and prisoner exchanges will begin. “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 added.

It is pertient to note that Trump has already warned that “all hell” will break loose if an agreement is not reached by the end of Sunday. Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, also spoke about the deal. Our goal is to limit the negotiations to just a few days. Trump made it clear: We will not tolerate stalling tactics or evasions,” the Israeli premier said Saturday.

The multi-phase plan is in play

While speaking to the media, the Israeli prime minister laid out a multi-phase plan:

1. Hamas will release the hostages while the Israeli military ​​“maintains control of all of the dominant areas deep inside the strip,” he said.

2. “Hamas will be disarmed and Gaza will be demilitarised. This will happen either through the diplomatic path by the Trump plan or through the military path, but it will be achieved.”

The proclamation from Netanyahu came a day after 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.

However, hours after Trump’s order, Israel launched dozens of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, Palestinian officials claimed. At least 36 people in Gaza have died since Trump’s demand, according to the Gaza-based health ministry. Meanwhile, Hamas on Friday said that 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.

The Palestinian group insisted 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 in the Gaza Strip, the exchange of prisoners, [and] the immediate entry of aid,” the statement read.