Netanyahu Accepts Trump’s Orders to Stop Bombing Gaza, but Strikes Continue

Rabat – Israel has signalled it is ready to move forward with the first stage of Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza after the US President ordered Israel to “immediately” stop bombing the Palestinian enclave. Still, reports have continued to emerge of ongoing Israeli air strikes on the Palestinian territory.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said last night it was prepared to implement the “first stage of Trump’s plan for the immediate release of all the hostages.” The statement added: “We will continue to work in full cooperation with the president and his team to end the war in accordance with the principles laid out by Israel, which correspond with Trump’s vision for ending the war.”

Israel’s Army Radio reported that the government had instructed its forces to “halt the operation to conquer Gaza.” At the same time, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir held a special meeting with top commanders, where he told them to be ready for phase one of the plan. Unconfirmed reports also suggested the army was ordered to reduce its operations in Gaza to a “minimum.”

Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from central Gaza, said it was still unclear whether Israel’s bombing had completely stopped, but noted the enclave had experienced “an unusual quietness” around midnight.

Trump’s plan is flawed, but ‘the current priority is to save Palestinian lives’ 

Trump hailed Hamas’s response to his 20-point proposal as a breakthrough. “This is a big day. We’ll see how it all turns out,” he said in a televised address. “Maybe unprecedented in many ways. It is unprecedented.” He thanked countries including Qatar, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan for their role in shaping the plan.

“Very importantly, I look forward to having the hostages come home to their parents,” Trump added. “This is a very special day. Maybe unprecedented in many ways. It is unprecedented.”

The US president also wrote on his Truth Social platform that Israel should “immediately” stop bombing Gaza, saying he believed Hamas was “ready for peace.”

Several countries, including India, France, the UK, Turkiye, and Qatar, welcomed the move as progress toward peace. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim struck a more cautious tone, saying he did not agree with “much” of the plan but that the “current priority is to save the lives of the Palestinian people.”

Despite Trump’s call to end bombardments, Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that Israeli forces carried out dozens of strikes and artillery shelling on Gaza City overnight. Seven people were killed, according to local authorities.