Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks throughout a joint press convention with U.S. President Donald Trump (not pictured) within the State Eating Room on the White Home in Washington, D.C., U.S., Sept. 29, 2025.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated he hopes to announce the discharge of all hostages from Gaza “within the coming days,” as Israel and Hamas put together for oblique talks in Egypt on Monday on a brand new U.S. plan to finish the struggle.
In a short assertion late Saturday, Netanyahu stated he has despatched a delegation to Egypt “to finalize technical particulars,” including that “our purpose is to include these negotiations to a time-frame of some days.”
However Netanyahu signaled there wouldn’t be a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, one thing Hamas has lengthy demanded. He stated Israel’s army will proceed to carry territories it controls in Gaza, and that Hamas will likely be disarmed within the plan’s second section, diplomatically “or by a army path by us.”
The prime minister spoke after Hamas stated it had accepted some components of the U.S. plan. President Donald Trump welcomed the militant group’s assertion however on Saturday warned that “Hamas should transfer rapidly, or else all bets will likely be off.”
Trump later stated the ceasefire would start instantly as soon as Hamas confirms the “preliminary withdrawal line” in Gaza. A map along with his social media publish appeared to indicate a lot of Gaza nonetheless open to Israeli forces.
Trump has additionally ordered Israel to cease bombing Gaza. Some in Gaza Metropolis reported a notable easing of Israeli strikes Saturday, although hospital officers stated a minimum of 22 folks have been killed, together with ladies and kids.
Israel’s military stated leaders instructed it to arrange for the U.S. plan’s first section. Israel has moved to a defensive-only place in Gaza and won’t actively strike, stated an official who was not approved to talk to the media on the file.
Nonetheless, an Israeli strike on Gaza Metropolis’s Tuffah neighborhood killed a minimum of 17 and injured 25 others, stated Al-Ahli hospital director Fadel Naim. “The strikes are nonetheless ongoing,” Naim stated. Israel’s army stated it struck a Hamas member and “regrets any hurt prompted to uninvolved civilians.”
Shifa Hospital director Mohamed Abu Selmiyah earlier Saturday stated Israeli strikes killed 5 Palestinians throughout Gaza Metropolis.
Momentum forward of struggle’s anniversary
Trump seems decided to ship on pledges to finish the struggle and return all hostages forward of Tuesday’s second anniversary of the Hamas assault that sparked it on Oct. 7, 2023. His proposal has widespread worldwide help. On Friday, Netanyahu’s workplace stated Israel was dedicated to ending the struggle.
Monday’s oblique talks are supposed to put together the best way for the discharge of hostages from Gaza and Palestinians from Israeli detention, mediator Egypt stated.
A senior Egyptian official stated U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff will journey to Egypt to move the U.S. negotiating group. The talks additionally will focus on maps exhibiting the anticipated withdrawal of Israeli forces from sure areas in Gaza, stated the official who spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of he wasn’t approved to temporary the media.
The official additionally stated Arab mediators are getting ready for a complete dialogue amongst Palestinians geared toward unifying their place towards Gaza’s future. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Gaza’s second strongest militant group, stated it accepted Hamas’ response after rejecting the plan days earlier.
Progress, however uncertainty forward
Beneath the plan, Hamas would launch the remaining 48 hostages — round 20 of them believed to be alive — inside three days. It could surrender energy and disarm.
In return, Israel would halt its offensive and withdraw from a lot of Gaza, launch lots of of Palestinian prisoners and permit an inflow of humanitarian help and eventual reconstruction.
Hamas stated it was prepared to launch the hostages and hand over energy to different Palestinians, however that different facets of the plan require additional consultations amongst Palestinians. It did not tackle the difficulty of Hamas demilitarizing.
Amir Avivi, a retired Israeli basic and chairman of Israel’s Protection and Safety Discussion board, stated whereas Israel can afford to cease firing for a number of days in Gaza so the hostages could be launched, it is going to resume its offensive if Hamas would not lay down its arms.
Others stated that Hamas’ place basically stays unchanged. Its rhetoric “merely repackages previous calls for in softer language,” stated Oded Ailam, a researcher on the Jerusalem Middle for Safety and Overseas Affairs.
Nonetheless, two vocal members of the right-wing bloc of Netanyahu’s coalition, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, criticized the plan’s progress however did not threaten to right away depart the federal government.
And a few audio system on the giant weekly rally in Tel Aviv over the struggle expressed a cautious hope not heard for months.
A gaggle representing some hostages’ households stated the prospect of seeing family members return “has by no means been nearer.” They appealed to Trump to maintain pushing “with full drive” and warned that “extremists on either side” will attempt to sabotage the plan.
In the meantime, protests have erupted throughout Europe calling for the struggle’s finish.
Palestinians are ‘actually drained’
Some Palestinians in Gaza nervous that talks will break down once more.
“We would like sensible implementation. We would like a truce on the bottom,” stated Sameer Qudeeh in Khan Younis.
“I hope Hamas ends the struggle, as a result of we’re actually drained,” stated Mohammad Shaat in Khan Younis, as anxious folks roamed the shattered streets.
On Saturday, Israel’s military warned Palestinians in opposition to attempting to return to Gaza Metropolis, calling it a “harmful fight zone.” Two residents stated that because the morning, Israeli tanks and troops had not superior however artillery shells and airstrikes have been heard.
“We will nonetheless see the quadcopters all over the place,” Mohamed al-Nashar stated.
In southern Gaza, the Palestine Pink Crescent Society stated its Saraya area hospital obtained 10 our bodies and over 70 injured after Israeli strikes on Saturday afternoon.
Gaza’s Well being Ministry stated the Palestinian demise toll within the struggle has topped 67,000. The toll jumped after the ministry stated it added greater than 700 names whose knowledge had been verified.
The Well being Ministry doesn’t say what number of have been civilians or combatants. It says ladies and kids make up round half the useless. The ministry is a part of the Hamas-run authorities, and the U.N. and plenty of impartial specialists contemplate its figures to be probably the most dependable estimate of wartime casualties.
