Israel and Hamas signaled a readiness to move forward with President Trump’s cease-fire plan in a diplomatic breakthrough, but significant gaps will need to be negotiated to bring an end to the war in Gaza.
The Israeli government said on Saturday morning that it was preparing for the “immediate implementation” of the first steps of Mr. Trump’s plan. Hours earlier, Hamas issued its own qualified acceptance of the proposal, saying it would release all remaining hostages.
Mr. Trump exuded confidence that a deal was imminent, saying it was a “big day” while also exhorting Israel to stop bombing Gaza. He conceded that negotiators still needed “to get the final word down in concrete.”
Neither Israel nor Hamas addressed in detail what had long been seen as the major sticking points to reaching an agreement. Hamas did not elaborate on whether it would accept Mr. Trump’s stipulation, backed by Israel, that the group disarm.
It was also unclear whether Israel was willing to accept any major changes to Mr. Trump’s plan, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said he supported during a visit to the White House this week.
Israeli negotiators were preparing on Saturday to travel abroad for indirect talks with Hamas, but it was not known when they would leave, said four officials from the region, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive political matters.
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