Israel’s political leadership has reportedly instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to suspend the push to seize Gaza City and restrict troops to defensive activity only, following US President Donald Trump’s call for an immediate halt to Israeli strikes.
Israeli media said the direction was issued after overnight consultations between Israeli and US officials, with the IDF told to reduce activity “to the minimum” and refrain from offensive manoeuvres. Talks on the American proposal are expected to follow.
Despite the reported instruction, imagery from Gaza on Saturday morning indicated continued hardship and ongoing security incidents. Photographs from central Gaza showed civilians moving through heavily damaged neighbourhoods, including a woman and child passing a destroyed residential block and a boy carrying water in a displacement camp.
Smoke was seen rising above parts of Gaza City after overnight explosions. United Nations estimates cited alongside the images say more than 90% of residential buildings in the Strip have been damaged or destroyed since the war began, and at least 1.9 million people have been displaced, with access to clean water limited.
Families of Israeli hostages urged political leaders to press ahead with efforts to secure a deal. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Israel was in “decisive days” that would determine the timely return of surviving captives and the repatriation of the dead. The organisation called for Israelis to gather in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square on Saturday evening to mark nearly two years since the 7 October 2023 attacks and to show support for an agreement to bring the hostages home.
Attention has focused on President Trump’s 20-point plan to end the war. The proposal, unveiled during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington earlier this week, calls for an immediate cessation of military operations, the release within 72 hours of 20 living Israeli hostages and the return of more than two dozen bodies, and a reciprocal release by Israel of hundreds of detained Palestinians and remains.
It envisages “full aid” entering Gaza once the sides agree, Hamas laying down arms and playing no role in governance, and the future administration of the Strip by a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee overseen by an international “Board of Peace” chaired by Mr Trump and including former UK prime minister Tony Blair and other leaders. The plan leaves open the question of a future Palestinian state; Mr Netanyahu has restated his opposition.
Israeli opposition figures signalled support for the American track. Yair Lapid and Yair Golan urged the government to move forward, arguing that Israel should join US-led discussions to finalise the deal, secure hostage releases, end Hamas’s rule and commence reconstruction.
In Brussels, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called Hamas’s response to the plan “encouraging” and said an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages were “within reach,” adding that Europe would support efforts to end the war and promote a two-state solution.
Estimates of those still held in Gaza remain a central factor. Of the 251 people abducted on 7 October 2023, there are believed to be 48 hostages still in Gaza, of whom about 20 are thought to be alive. Hamas has said it will release all remaining hostages—living and deceased—while seeking further negotiations on key elements of the US plan. Analysts note that such a release would reduce the group’s leverage in subsequent talks.
On the ground in Israel, families and relatives of captives continued to press for urgency. One mother posted that she felt “closer than ever” to embracing her son after “two years of suffering,” thanking President Trump for the recent progress. Another relative called for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages, while acknowledging that negotiations were the realistic path now in motion.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains severe. Médecins Sans Frontières reported “dire conditions” in Gaza City, with reduced access to food, water and health services. MSF said it suspended “essential medical activities” at the end of September amid a deteriorating security environment and increased air strikes, and confirmed the death of a staff member on Thursday, the latest in a series of casualties among its personnel since October 2023.
Further analysis of the American plan has focused on the sequencing of Israeli withdrawals and the extent of residual military presence. A White House map outlining staged pullbacks suggests the IDF would initially remain in control of a significant portion of the Strip, with later phases reducing that footprint and establishing a “security buffer zone.” The IDF’s own mapping continues to designate large areas as “dangerous combat zones,” alongside a defined “humanitarian area” in the south.
The Israeli military said the Chief of Staff convened an overnight assessment with senior officers and intelligence officials, including representatives of the Hostage and Missing Persons Headquarters, to prepare for the “implementation of the first phase” of the US plan. The statement prioritised troop safety, allocating capabilities to Southern Command and instructing units to maintain high alert given the operation’s sensitivity. While Israeli media reported instructions to curtail offensive action in Gaza City, the military did not publicly confirm a formal shift to purely defensive rules of engagement.
Diplomatic messaging from capitals was largely positive. UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged all parties to seize the opportunity to end the conflict. Leaders in Turkey, France, Germany, Italy and Canada described Hamas’s response as a step that could bring a ceasefire and hostage releases within reach, while emphasising swift follow-through. In Israel, the political implications of any slowdown in Gaza City remain under scrutiny, with coalition dynamics, public pressure from hostage families, and security assessments all shaping decisions on timing and scope.
As of Saturday morning, the picture is mixed: reported Israeli instructions point to a pause in the Gaza City offensive and a shift to defensive postures; images from Gaza show continued damage and insecurity; and diplomatic channels are intensifying around a framework that ties a cessation of hostilities to staged withdrawals, extensive prisoner exchanges, and a new governance mechanism for the Strip. Implementation depends on bridging gaps over disarmament, future security arrangements and the roles of the parties in the next phase.
Uncertainty Looms Over Hostages in Gaza as Israel Awaits Crucial Information
