Gaza (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Israel attacked Gaza on Saturday, according to local authorities, following US President Donald Trump’s call for a break in the bombing. Trump stated that Hamas is prepared for peace, agreeing to release hostages and accept certain other conditions as part of a U.S. plan to end the conflict.
Gaza’s civil defence agency reports that Israel launched numerous air strikes and artillery shelling on Gaza City, Al Jazeera reported. Since dawn today, seven people have been killed across the strip. One strike in Gaza City killed four people in a house, and another in Khan Younis in the south killed two others.
What does Trump’s peace plan propose for the Gaza conflict?
The peace agenda for Gaza, proposed by Trump this week and supported by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, proposes a ceasefire, the release of hostages within 72 hours, Hamas’s disarmament, and a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Trump said on Friday he acknowledged Hamas had indicated it was “ready for a lasting PEACE” and he put the onus on Netanyahu’s administration.
“Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly!”
Trump noted.
“We are already in discussions on the details to be worked out. This is not about Gaza alone, this is about long sought PEACE in the Middle East.”
How did Israel respond to Trump’s call for a ceasefire?
Netanyahu’s office announced early Saturday that Israel was getting ready to immediately implement the initial phase of Trump’s Gaza plan for releasing Israeli hostages. Soon after, Israeli media reported that the country’s political leadership had directed the military to scale back offensive operations in Gaza.
The Israeli military chief of staff directed forces in a statement to increase readiness for executing the first phase of Trump’s plan, without indicating if there would be a decrease in military activity in Gaza.
How did Hamas react to Trump’s proposed peace plan?
Hamas, the Palestinian organisation that governs Gaza, reacted to Trump’s 20-point plan following the U.S. president’s deadline for the group to accept by Sunday or face serious consequences.
Al Jazeera reported that Hamas has responded to Trump’s peace plan, agreeing to transfer governance of the enclave to Palestinian technocrats and to free all Israeli captives. The Palestinian group’s response did not tackle the critical issue of disarmament but stated it was ready to “immediately begin” peace negotiations with mediators.
