Trump: Gaza ceasefire to begin once Hamas confirms Israeli withdrawal line

CAIRO – 4 October 2025: US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Israel has agreed to an initial withdrawal line under his Gaza proposal, and that the terms have been shared with Hamas.

“After negotiations, Israel has agreed to the initial withdrawal line, which we have shown to, and shared with, Hamas,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social.

“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.”

Hamas on Friday gave a qualified approval on Trump’s 20-point Gaza proposal, agreeing to release all Israeli captives, both the living and the remains of the dead.

Both Israel and Hamas agreed to move ahead with the first phases of Trump's plan to halt the war in the enclave and ensure the release of remaining captives.

Trump’s plan defines post-war Gaza management under a Palestinian technocratic committee supervised by the so-called “Board of Peace,” which he will co-chair alongside former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, remembered for his role in Iraq invasion.

Meanwhile, Hamas agreed to hand over the administration of the strip to “a Palestinian body of independent technocrats, based on Palestinian national consensus and supported by Arab and Islamic backing,” without a mention to the foreign board.

Hamas also did not mention the provision of Trump’s plan regarding the demilitarisation of Gaza, a condition that clashes with the movement’s longstanding refusal to disarm while Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories continues.

The plan bars Israel from “occupying or annexing Gaza.” It also acknowledges the Palestinian people’s aspiration for "self-determination and statehood,” though it offers no guarantees for implementation.

Trump commended Hamas’s response, saying he believes the movement is now “ready for a lasting PEACE.”

The Israeli government said it is ready for the "immediate implementation" of the first phases of Trump's Gaza plan.

While Israel reportedly ordered halting operations in Gaza City, home to almost half of the enclave’s 2.2 million population, dozens have been reportedly killed since Trump urged Israel late on Friday to "immediately stop the bombing of Gaza."