WASHINGTON (AN) — U.S. President Donald J. Trump issued a direct public order to Israel, demanding an "immediate halt" to the bombing in the Gaza Strip.
As the military fighting continued into Saturday, the high-stakes U.S. intervention instantly created tension with Jerusalem, even though Hamas had signaled a conditional willingness to move forward with a major hostage-release deal.
However, the diplomatic process advanced after Hamas announced late Friday that it conditionally accepted the main parts of the U.S.-backed peace framework: an immediate ceasefire and the exchange of prisoners.
Trump’s public demand that Israel stop bombing Gaza was delivered with unusual force. He argued that continued military activity made the safe extraction of captives "far too dangerous" and warned he would “not tolerate delay” from any party.
The order caused immediate friction among top Israeli government officials. An Israeli official confirmed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was both surprised and displeased by Trump’s quick, positive assessment of the Hamas response.
Netanyahu reportedly viewed the response as incomplete and a public relations stunt. He stressed that Israel needed a coordinated approach with the U.S. to manage the negotiation story.
Despite this disagreement, the Israeli leader confirmed that a delegation led by a close confidant would travel to Egypt. The goal of the trip is to finish the technical details before scheduled indirect talks with Hamas on Monday in Cairo, confirming Israel’s commitment to the agreement’s first phase.
Global response and legal questions
Global institutions gave the proposed framework limited support. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the "window of opportunity" and urged all parties to move quickly to secure an end to the conflict, thanking Qatar and Egypt for their mediation.
However, U.N. human rights experts warned that essential parts of the U.S. plan might break international law. Their main worry is that the plan fails to guarantee the Palestinian right to self-determination. They also criticized the proposed U.S.-chaired "Board of Peace," saying it lacks clear, international oversight.
In addition, the experts pointed out that asking Hamas to disarm without also demanding accountability for all international crimes committed during the conflict is a major issue.
The legal complexity of the conflict was underlined by the ongoing International Criminal Court investigation into alleged war crimes committed by leaders on both sides. The U.S. administration, which does not recognize ICC's jurisdiction over the matter, had previously imposed sanctions on the court’s prosecutor, creating a significant obstacle in managing the conflict's legal consequences.
While the diplomatic efforts sped up, reduced but persistent military activity was still reported on the ground. Israeli defense officials said their forces had been instructed to shift into a defensive posture rather than fully stopping hostilities.
The human cost of the conflict continued to rise. Local health authorities reported that 66 people were killed in strikes on Friday. More casualties were reported after an Israeli strike in Gaza City’s Tuffah neighborhood on Saturday.
The Israeli military confirmed the strike, saying it targeted a Hamas operative and regretted any harm to uninvolved civilians. Humanitarian operations, primarily coordinated through U.N. agencies, remain severely limited by logistics and security concerns.
The negotiating obstacles
The initial phase of the agreement focuses on exchanging the remaining 48 hostages — believed to include 20 living captives and 28 deceased remains — for the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 1,700 additional Palestinians detained since the two-year conflict began.
The most major remaining issue for negotiators in Cairo is the strict 72-hour deadline for releasing all captives, as set out in the U.S. plan.
Hamas officials have publicly called this timeline "theoretical and unrealistic," noting that locating the remains of deceased hostages could require technical work spanning months.
On another front, Hamas indicated a willingness to transfer Gaza’s governance to an independent body of experts.
However, the group flatly refused to commit to two key U.S. demands: complete disarmament and accepting the proposed U.S.-led "Board of Peace" for long-term administration. The group asserted that these issues must be settled through a comprehensive Palestinian national framework.
