Gaza hostages ‘released in days,’ Israel agrees partial troop withdrawal

US and Israeli officials are heading to Egypt for ceasefire talks with Hamas, as Donald Trump says Jerusalem has agreed to withdraw troops to an ‘initial’ line in Gaza.

Donald Trump's peace plan is moving forward as Hamas agreed to release the Israeli hostages.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he hopes to announce the release of all hostages from Gaza “in the coming days,” as Israel, the US and Hamas prepare for indirect talks in Egypt on Monday (local time) on Donald Trump’s plan to end the war.

In a brief statement late Saturday, Mr Netanyahu said he had sent a delegation to Egypt “to finalise technical details,” adding that “our goal is to contain these negotiations to a time frame of a few days.”

New media post from Donald J. Trump

(TS: 04 Oct 18:35 ET)​​​‍​​‌‍​​‌‍​​​​​​‌‍​​​​‌‍​​‌‍​​​​​​​​​‌‍​​​‌‍​​​​​​​​​‌‍​‌‍​‌‍​​​​​​​‌‍​​​​​​​​​​‌‍​​​​​​​​‌‍​​​‌‍​​​​​‌‍​​‌‍​​​​​​​​​‌‍ pic.twitter.com/NTsR1ZF2Us

— Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) October 4, 2025

But he signalled there would not be a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, something Hamas has long demanded. He said Israel's military will continue to hold territories it controls in Gaza, and that Hamas will be disarmed in the plan's second phase, diplomatically “or through a military path by us.”

US and Arab officials said Mr Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner would travel to Egypt for the talks.

Mr Kushner helped put together the US President’s peace proposal, and is expected to be central to its implementation.

The moves comes after Hamas said it had accepted some elements of the US plan and expressed hopes the hostages would be released soon.

Israel has also appeared to agree to withdrawing the Israeli Defence Forces to the lines of control it held before the IDF began its incursion into Gaza City last month.

Mr Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that Israel had agreed to an “initial withdrawal line,” which has been shared with Hamas. The US President said as soon as Hamas agreed the line, the ceasefire would begin.

“When Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective, the Hostages and Prisoner Exchange will begin, and we will create the conditions for the next phase of withdrawal, which will bring us close to the end of this 3,000 YEAR CATASTROPHE,” he wrote.

Before the move into Gaza City, the IDF held around 70 per cent of Gaza and the map shared by Mr Trump shows it would still have a presence in the southern cities of Khan Younis and Rafah.

The map shared by Donald Trump shows the IDF would still have a presence in Khan Younis. Picture: Truth Social.

Mr Trump welcomed Hamas’s statement, saying they were committed to peace. However he warned: “Hamas must move quickly, or else all bets will be off.”

He also ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza. Some in Gaza City reported a notable easing of Israeli strikes, though hospital officials said at least 22 people were killed, including women and children.

Israel's army said leaders instructed it to prepare for the US plan's first phase. Israel has moved to a defensive-only position in Gaza and will not actively strike, said an official.

pic.twitter.com/jWKQTWMdAQ

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) October 4, 2025

The President told the Axios website Mr Netanyahu had reservations about Hamas’s intentions after their statement on Saturday (AEST) but he persuaded the Israeli Prime Minister to go ahead. “I said, ‘Bibi, this is your chance for victory,’” he said. “He was fine with it. He’s got to be fine with it. He has no choice. With me, you got to be fine.”

He also told Axios the war in Gaza isolated Israel internationally, and said he aimed to restore Israel’s international standing. “Bibi took it very far and Israel lost a lot of support in the world. Now I am gonna get all that support back,” he said.

The White House’s official response account posted the Axios article on X.

.@POTUS: "I said, 'Bibi, this is your chance for victory.' He was fine with it. He's got to be fine with it. He has no choice. With me, you got to be fine." https://t.co/O2uAV8PtIU

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 4, 2025

Trump appears determined to deliver on pledges to end the war and return all hostages ahead of Tuesday's second anniversary of the Hamas attack that sparked it on Oct. 7, 2023. His proposal has widespread international support. On Friday, Netanyahu's office said Israel was committed to ending the war.

Monday's indirect talks are meant to prepare the way for the release of hostages from Gaza and Palestinians from Israeli detention, mediator Egypt said.

The Israeli negotiating team in Egypt will include Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, government hostage point-man Gal Hirsch, and officials from intelligence agencies Mossad and Shin Bet.

The talks also will discuss maps showing the expected withdrawal of Israeli forces from certain areas in Gaza said an official, adding Arab mediators are preparing for a comprehensive dialogue among Palestinians aimed at unifying their position toward Gaza's future.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Gaza's second most powerful militant group, said it accepted Hamas’ response after rejecting the plan days earlier.

Under the plan, Hamas would release the remaining 48 hostages — around 20 of them believed to be alive — within three days. It would give up power and disarm.

In return, Israel would halt its offensive and withdraw from much of Gaza, release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and allow an influx of humanitarian aid and eventual reconstruction.

Hamas said it was willing to release the hostages and hand over power to other Palestinians, but that other aspects of the plan require further consultations among Palestinians. It didn't address the issue of Hamas demilitarising.

Mr Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners spoke out against the deal, but did not threaten to immediately leave government. However national security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir warned he’d remove his party from government if Hamas “continues to exist” after the release of the hostages and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said Mr Netanyahu’s decision to stop the offensive in Gaza was “a serious mistake.”

Amir Avivi, a retired Israeli general and chairman of Israel’s Defense and Security Forum, said while Israel can afford to stop firing for a few days in Gaza so the hostages can be released, it will resume its offensive if Hamas doesn't lay down its arms.

Others said that Hamas' position fundamentally remains unchanged. Its rhetoric "simply repackages old demands in softer language," said Oded Ailam, a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.

And some speakers at the large weekly rally in Tel Aviv over the war expressed a cautious hope not heard for months.

A group representing some hostages' families said the prospect of seeing loved ones return “has never been closer.” They appealed to Trump to keep pushing “with full force” and warned that “extremists on both sides” will try to sabotage the plan.

Meanwhile, protests have erupted across Europe calling for the war's end.

AP