• Source:JND
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Gaza Peace Plan: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is preparing to implement the “first stage” of US President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza after Hamas agreed to free hostages. A statement from the prime minister's office Saturday said Israel would work “in full cooperation” with Trump to end the war in accordance with its principles.

Here's what's happend until now

1. US President Donald Trump on Friday ordered Israel to stop bombing the Gaza Strip after Hamas said it had accepted some elements of his plan to end the nearly two-year war and return all the remaining hostages taken in the October 7, 2023, attack.

2. 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. Senior Hamas officials suggested there were still major disagreements that required further negotiations.

3. Trump's proposal “cannot be implemented without negotiations,” Mousa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas official based outside of Gaza, told the Al Jazeera network on Friday.

4. The Hamas statement said it was willing to return all remaining hostages according to the plan's “formula,” apparently referring to an exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

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6. There was no immediate response from Israel, which is largely shut down for the Jewish Sabbath, and Hamas' response fell short of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's demands that the group surrender and disarm. Israel had earlier accepted Trump's plan in its entirety.

7. Trump welcomed the Hamas statement, saying: “I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE." “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," he wrote on social media.

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8. Hamas said aspects of the proposal touching on the future of the Gaza Strip and Palestinian rights should be decided on the basis of a “unanimous Palestinian stance” reached with other factions and based on international law.

9. The statement also made no mention of Hamas disarming, a key Israeli demand included in Trump's proposal.

10. Hamas has long insisted it will only release the remaining hostages — its sole bargaining chip and potential human shields — in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal. Netanyahu has rejected those terms, saying Hamas must surrender and disarm.

(With inputs from agency)