In a Sunday address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu committed to the disarmament of Hamas, along with the release of all hostages, as the subsequent stage in the Gaza peace plan. Netanyahu emphasized that Hamas would be demilitarized either through Israeli military action or according to Trump’s proposal. He also made clear Israel’s refusal to fully withdraw from Gaza, a key demand of Hamas. The Prime Minister hopes to announce the release of hostages soon, potentially before the scheduled talks in Egypt. Negotiations to end the war in Gaza are set to intensify in Egypt after Hamas announced it had accepted parts of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan. Trump dispatched Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to Cairo to lead US efforts, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that a delegation from Israel is also heading to Egypt. Hamas announced on Friday night that it had approved the release of all captives both those alive and remains under Trump’s proposed exchange formula.
