Trump says Israel agrees to first withdrawal step in Gaza peace plan

President Donald Trump announced that Israel has agreed to the first withdrawal phase in a peace plan to finally end the war in Gaza.

The president shared the news on Truth Social today, writing, "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!"

At the same time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has voiced his hopes that the hostages will be released from Gaza "in the coming days."

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In a brief statement late Saturday evening, Netanyahu said he has sent a delegation to Egypt "to finalize technical details," adding that "our goal is to contain these negotiations to a time frame of a few days."

However, Netanyahu signaled there would not be a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza - something Hamas has long demanded as a condition of the ceasefire.

Netanyahu said Israel's military will continue to hold territories it controls in Gaza, and that Hamas will be disarmed in the plan's second phase, diplomatically, "or through a military path by us."

News of the pending resolution comes just hours after Israel launched airstrikes on the Gaza strip that killed at least 22 people.

The attack came shortly after President Trump called a halt to the bombing, saying that Hamas was "ready for a lasting PEACE" adding that Israel, "must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza."

Hamas said that it had agreed to release all remaining Israeli hostages, alive or dead, and expressed willingness to negotiate through mediators on President Trump's 20-point plan for peace.

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The 20-point plan would require the release of the 48 hostages that remain in Gaza within three days.

This Tuesday marks two years since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, which began on October 7, 2023, with Hamas-led terrorist attacks at a music festival, in which 1,200 people were killed, and 251 were abducted.