Israel’s army says it will advance preparations for first phase of Trump’s plan

Israel’s army said that it would advance preparations for the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza and return all the remaining hostages, after Hamas said it accepted parts of the deal while others still needed to be negotiated.

The army said it was instructed by Israel’s leaders to “advance readiness” for the implementation of the plan.

An official who was not authorised to speak to the media on the record said that Israel has moved to a defensive-only position in Gaza and will not actively strike.

The official said no forces have been removed from the strip.

This announcement came hours after Mr Trump ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza once Hamas said it had accepted some elements of his plan.

Mr Trump welcomed the Hamas statement, saying: “I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE.”

The president appears keen to deliver on pledges to end the war and return dozens of hostages ahead of the second anniversary of the attack on Tuesday.

His proposal unveiled earlier this week has widespread international support and was also endorsed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Friday, Mr Netanyahu’s office said Israel was committed to ending the war that began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 2023, without addressing potential gaps with the militant group.

Mr Netanyahu has come under increasing pressure from the international community and Mr Trump to end the conflict.

The official told the AP that Mr Netanyahu put out the rare late-night statement on the sabbath saying that Israel has started to prepare for Mr Trump’s plan after pressure from the US administration.

The official also said that a negotiating team was getting ready to travel, but there was no date specified.

A senior Egyptian official says talks are under way for the release of hostages, as well as hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention.

The official, who is involved in the ceasefire negotiations, also said Arab mediators are preparing for a comprehensive dialogue among Palestinians.

The talks are aimed at unifying the Palestinian position towards Gaza’s future.

On Saturday, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the second most powerful militant group in Gaza, said it accepted Hamas’ response to the Trump plan.

The group had previously rejected the proposal days earlier.

Also on Saturday, Gaza’s Health Ministry said that the death toll in the nearly two-year Israel-Hamas war has topped 67,000 Palestinians.

The death toll jumped after the ministry said it added more than 700 names to the list whose data had been verified.

– Progress, but uncertainty ahead

Despite the momentum, a lot of questions remain.

Under the plan, Hamas would release the remaining 48 hostages — around 20 of them believed to be alive — within three days.

It would also give up power and disarm.

In return, Israel would halt its offensive and withdraw from much of the territory, release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and allow an influx of humanitarian aid and eventual reconstruction.

Hamas said it was willing to release the hostages and hand over power to other Palestinians, but that other aspects of the plan require further consultations among Palestinians.

Its official statement also did not address the issue of Hamas demilitarising, a key part of the deal.

Amir Avivi, a retired Israeli general and chairman of Israel’s Defence and Security Forum, said while Israel can afford to stop firing for a few days in Gaza so the hostages can be released, it will resume its offensive if Hamas does not lay down its arms.

Others say that while Hamas suggests a willingness to negotiate, its position fundamentally remains unchanged.