"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a halt to the operation to occupy Gaza City and a suspension of airstrikes to "prepare for the immediate implementation of the first phase of the Trump Plan for the immediate release of all hostages," his office said. Driving the news: Trump said Friday in a Truth Social post that Israel should stop bombing Gaza "so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly." Trump stressed he now believes Hamas is "ready for a lasting PEACE.""
"It came shortly after Hamas responded to Trump's Gaza peace plan with a "yes, but." The group said it was willing to release all remaining hostages in return for an end to the war and a full Israeli military withdrawal. But while it accepted parts of the Trump proposal, Hamas requested technical talks on other parts and political negotiations to settle the rest. Behind the scenes: An Israeli official said Netanyahu was surprised by Trump's response."
"In consultations Netanyahu held on Friday night - after Hamas' response and before Trump's announcement - he stressed that he viewed Hamas' response as a rejection of Trump's plan, the Israeli official said. The Israeli negotiations team handling the hostage issue actually viewed Hamas' response as a positive reaction that opens a pathway to reaching a deal, the official said."
Netanyahu ordered a halt to the operation to occupy Gaza City and suspended airstrikes to prepare for immediate implementation of the first phase of the Trump Plan for the immediate release of all hostages. Trump called for stopping bombing Gaza so hostages can be released safely and said he believes Hamas is ready for lasting peace. Hamas responded with a "yes, but," offering to release remaining hostages in exchange for an end to the war and full Israeli military withdrawal while requesting technical talks and political negotiations on parts of the plan. Israeli officials differed on whether Hamas's response was positive or a rejection. Mediators in Qatar and Egypt welcomed the statements and prepared to start negotiations.
Read at Axios
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