Hostages high on agenda as Israel and Hamas prepare for talks
Israel would start mediated negotiations with Hamas on Sunday, an Israeli official familiar with the matter said, after Hamas said it wanted to discuss parts of Trump’s 20-point plan to end a conflict that has devastated Gaza and destabilised the Middle East.
Netanyahu said a swap of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners would happen immediately upon securing an agreement, while Hamas’ disarmament would come in a second stage.
“That will happen either diplomatically according to the Trump plan or militarily by us,” he said. “It’ll be achieved the easy way or the hard way, but it will be achieved.”
The prime minister spoke as tens of thousands took to the streets in Tel Aviv in support of the deal to end the war. He also faces pressure from those who argue Hamas must be eliminated; far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on X that halting attacks on Gaza was a “grave mistake.”
Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on September 29.Credit: Getty Images
A possible boost to peace hopes came with a supportive statement from the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, which is smaller than Hamas but seen as more hardline.
A White House official confirmed US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, were travelling to Egypt to finalise the details of the peace negotiations. Details on what Trump’s plan would entail remain scarce.
Israel’s army, which controls about 80 per cent of the Gaza Strip, was assuming a defensive posture by Saturday but had not withdrawn troops, according to an Israeli official, who requested not to be identified by name to discuss confidential matters.
Palestinian witnesses described the fighting as largely subdued. However, bombing continued in Gaza City, killing at least 36 people since Trump called for the bombing to end on Friday.
Eighteen people died in sporadic incidents, while another 18, including children, were killed and several others wounded in an Israeli strike on a house in the Tuffah neighbourhood in Gaza City, medics said. The attack damaged several buildings nearby.
Israel said it had targeted a Hamas militant who had posed a threat to its troops in the area, and that reports of casualties were under review. The military “regrets any harm caused to uninvolved civilians and works to mitigate harm to uninvolved civilians as much as possible,” it said in a statement.
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Hamas said in a statement that “the continuation of the occupation’s bombing and massacres exposes Netanyahu’s lies about reducing military operations against civilians”.
More than 67,000 Gazans have been killed in the war, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the territory, and the United Nations has reported “widespread starvation, malnutrition and disease”.
Two days ago, Israel intercepted an aid flotilla attempting to reach Gaza, sparking protests around the world.