U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Israel had agreed to an initial withdrawal line in Gaza as part of his proposal to end the war.
“After negotiations, Israel has agreed to the initial withdrawal line, which we have shown to, and shared with, Hamas. When Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective, the Hostages and Prisoner Exchange will begin, and 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter and, STAY TUNED!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, along with a map of the initial withdrawal line.
The president later posted a picture on Truth Social from Saturday night’s Hostages and Missing Families Forum rally at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, featuring a large banner reading “It’s now or never” among the thousands in attendance.
Trump earlier in the day welcomed Israel’s decision to pause offensive operations in the Gaza Strip and applied pressure on Hamas to give his peace initiative a chance to move forward.
“I appreciate that Israel has temporarily stopped the bombing in order to give the hostage release and peace deal a chance to be completed,” Trump wrote on Truth.
“Hamas must move quickly, or else all bets will be off. I will not tolerate delay, which many think will happen, or any outcome where Gaza poses a threat again. Let’s get this done, fast. Everyone will be treated fairly!” he added.
Israel is preparing to implement the first phase of the plan to end the war against Hamas, which includes “the immediate release of all hostages,” the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem announced overnight Friday.
The decision followed Hamas’s response to the American proposal earlier on Friday. The Palestinian terrorist group said it accepted parts of the plan, including the release of all 48 remaining hostages—20 of whom are believed to be alive, “provided the field conditions for the exchange are met,” as part of ending the conflict.
In response, the Israeli political echelon ordered IDF operations in Gaza scaled back to “a minimum,” with ground forces restricted to defensive maneuvers, Army Radio reported on Saturday.
On Friday, Trump said that he believes Hamas is “ready for a lasting peace,” and therefore “Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the hostages out safely and quickly.”
Hours later, the U.S. president released a video statement in which he confirmed that Washington was waiting to get “the final word down,” while adding he “look[s] forward to having the hostages come home to their parents.
“This is a very special day, maybe unprecedented,” said Trump. “We were given a tremendous amount of help. Everybody was unified in wanting this war to end and seeing peace in the Middle East, and we’re very close to achieving that.”
