Israel Roundup: Israel Agrees to ‘Initial Withdrawal Line’, Hostages May Return Over Sukkos, Israel Pauses Offensive

President Trump announced over Shabbos that Israel had agreed to an “initial withdrawal line” in Gaza, adding that a cease-fire and hostage exchange would begin once Hamas confirms the deal.

Hamas had previously agreed to release all hostages as part of the first phase of any deal, of which they demanded negotiations take place to decided the details.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he ordered his negotiators, led by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, to travel to Egypt to finalize the technical details of the hostage release. He noted that if a deal is reached, the hostages are likely to return over Sukkos.

In a controversial move, the IDF paused their Gaza City offensive at the request of the Trump Administration, saying that only defensive actions are taking place. The Israeli Government stressed that the pause was NOT a ceasefire, and the offensive has just been paused to facilitate negotiations.