Israel Prepares To Implement First Phase Of Trump-Backed Gaza Ceasefire Plan

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel is prepared for the implementation of the first phase of United States President Donald Trump’s peace plan to end the war in Gaza. The Prime Minister’s office issued a statement overnight after Hamas agreed to free the hostages.

“Israel is prepared for the immediate implementation of the first stage of Trump’s plan for the immediate release of all the hostages,” the statement from Netanyahu’s office read. 

“We will continue to work in full cooperation with the president and his team to end the war in accordance with the principles laid out by Israel, which correspond with Trump’s vision for ending the war,” it added.

Trump had previously asked Israel to stop bombing the region after Hamas accepted the first phase of the proposal. Shortly afterwards, Israeli media said the country’s political echelon had instructed the military to reduce offensive activity in Gaza.

The Israeli chief of staff issued a statement directing forces to advance readiness for implementation of the first phase without saying whether military activity would be reduced.

Trump had released a statement on his Truth social platform "Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly! Right now, it's far too dangerous to do that. We are already in discussions on details to be worked out.”

Hamas had asserted that 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, AP reported. 

Trump had pushed a 20-point plan to end the two-year war in Gaza which drew support from leaders across the world.