Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that he hopes Israeli hostages held in Gaza could be released “in the coming days,” as Egypt prepares to hold talks under a peace plan led by US President Donald Trump.
Netanyahu also clarified that Israel would not fully withdraw from Gaza, asserting that Israeli forces will continue to hold territories under their control while Hamas is expected to be disarmed “diplomatically or through a military path.”
He also indicated that Israel has agreed to the initial withdrawal lines outlined in the plan, while emphasizing that hostages’ safety and an end to the fighting are priorities.
In a televised statement, he added, “Hamas will be disarmed and Gaza will be demilitarised – either the easy way or the hard way, but it will be achieved.”
Netanyahu’s statement came after Hamas indicated its willingness to accept certain elements of the plan, though key issues such as disarmament remain unresolved.
Hamas has agreed to release the hostages and allow Gaza to be governed by technocrats, but it has not addressed disarmament, a central Israeli demand. Trump on Saturday urged Hamas to move quickly, warning that delays could end the deal.
WHAT’S TRUMP’S GAZA PEACE PLAN?
The 20-point US plan aims for a rapid resolution to the conflict. Under the proposal, Hamas would release all remaining Israeli hostages — including the nearly 20 believed to be alive — within three days. In exchange, Israel would halt its offensive, withdraw from parts of Gaza, release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and allow humanitarian aid and reconstruction.
CONTINUED VIOLENCE AMID TALKS
Despite the negotiations, Israeli airstrikes on Gaza continued on Saturday, resulting in at least 36 deaths, including children, since Trump pressed Israel on Friday to halt its attacks. This escalation followed Hamas’s partial acceptance of a 20-point peace plan aimed at ending the two-year conflict.
Medical officials in Gaza City reported casualties, including women and children, in ongoing strikes, even as Israel said it had moved to a defensive-only posture to prepare for the implementation of the U.S. plan.
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