Israel’s Netanyahu Promises to Disarm Hamas and Free Hostages in Gaza

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the second phase of the Gaza peace plan involves the disarmament of Hamas and the release of all hostages. Netanyahu stated that Hamas would be demilitarized through either Israeli military measures or via Trump’s proposal. He highlighted that Israel would not be completely withdrawing from Gaza, a stance long held by Hamas. The Prime Minister hopes for the release of all hostages from Gaza to be announced in the coming days, anticipating talks in Egypt on Monday. Talks 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. Despite Trump’s call for a halt to Israeli airstrikes, bombardments continued on Saturday.