Hamas has indicated it is willing to agree to parts of Trump’s peace plan, including releasing all remaining hostages in exchange for a full Israeli military withdrawal and an end to the war.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner are expected to travel to Egypt on Saturday to finalize details of a hostage release agreement in Gaza.
Axios first reported on the situation, citing a White House official who confirmed that the pair will be travelling to Egypt and will sort out “the technical details of the hostage release and discuss the lasting peace deal."
The trip will mark the beginning of the implementation of President Donald Trump’s peace plan for the Gaza Strip. There are currently 48 remaining hostages, with 20 believed to still be alive. A senior Israeli official told Channel 12 News on Saturday that their release could come “within a few days.”
Witkoff has previously led negotiations resulting in the release of all living American hostages. Kushner, who served as Trump’s top Middle East envoy during his first term, is widely credited with brokering the 2020 Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab nations.
Hamas has indicated it is willing to agree to parts of Trump’s peace plan, including releasing all remaining hostages in exchange for a full Israeli military withdrawal and an end to the war. The group has requested further technical talks on other aspects of the negotiations.
In a post on Truth Social on Friday, President Trump urged Israel to halt its bombing campaign in Gaza.
“I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE,” Trump wrote. “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.”
Following Trump’s statement, the Israeli military announced it had shifted to defensive operations in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu subsequently ordered a pause in the Gaza operation and suspended airstrikes.
“In light of the Hamas response [to the Trump peace plan], Israel is making preparations for the immediate implementation of the first phase of the Trump plan, which is the immediate release of all of the hostages,” Netanyahu said.
Trump posted on Saturday that Israel has agreed to the initial withdrawal line in Gaza, and that once Hamas confirms, the ceasefire will be effective immediately. The hostage exchange will then begin, and “we will create the conditions for the next phase of withdrawal."
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