US President Donald Trump Unveils Gaza Withdrawal Map as Israel - Hamas Head to Cairo Talks

US President Donald Trump revealed on Saturday night a detailed map outlining the initial withdrawal line to which Israel has agreed as part of his 20-point plan to end the Gaza war. Posting on Truth Social, Trump wrote:

“After discussions, Israel has agreed to the initial withdrawal line, which we presented and shared with Hamas. When Hamas approves, the ceasefire will go into effect immediately, the hostage and prisoner exchange will begin, and we will create the conditions for the next phase of the withdrawal – which will bring us closer to ending the disaster that has lasted 3,000 years.”

The map Trump unveiled resembles the draft already published a week earlier but with greater detail. It shows:

• Rafah and the Philadelphi Corridor on the border with Egypt remaining under Israeli control.

• Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza explicitly marked within Israeli-held territory.

• An “initial withdrawal zone” intended to facilitate the first stage of the hostage release.

Trump stressed that this is only the first step, with gradual Israeli pullbacks envisioned. Control over parts of Gaza is to be handed to an international Arab-Muslim force, tasked with ensuring demilitarization of the Strip. Israel, however, is to maintain a security perimeter along Gaza’s borders, including the Philadelphi Corridor, until it is “absolutely certain” no terrorist threat remains.

Negotiations Move to Cairo

Formal negotiations on the details of the arrangement are set to open Sunday in Cairo. Delegations are expected to include:

• Israel, led by Minister Ron Dermer.

• Hamas representatives.

• US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the talks as “closing the technical details of the release of our hostages” and expressed hope to conclude negotiations within days.

However, he cautioned that Hamas must eventually be disarmed:

“In the second phase, Hamas will be disarmed and the Strip will be demobilized. This will happen either through a diplomatic path according to the Trump plan, or through a military path by us. Either it will be achieved the easy way or the hard way. But it will be achieved.”

IDF Shifts to Defensive Posture

Following Trump’s announcement, Israel halted its offensive strikes across Gaza on Saturday morning. The IDF is now in defensive mode, tasked with protecting deployed forces while maintaining the siege of Gaza City.

Until dawn, airstrikes continued throughout the Strip, but the political echelon later instructed the military to attack only if immediate threats to troops are detected.

Israel’s aim is to determine whether negotiations can move forward. If successful, mechanisms will be established for the hostage release, followed by phased withdrawals deeper inside Gaza.

Hamas Response and Israeli Debate

On Friday night, Hamas said it had delivered its response to Trump’s plan and was ready to release all hostages as part of a deal, while also signaling readiness to enter immediate talks. Still, its response was evasive and avoided explicit reference to some clauses of the US proposal.

According to Israeli officials, Netanyahu initially viewed Hamas’s reply as a rejection, stressing that coordination with Washington was vital to prevent the impression that Hamas had accepted the plan outright.

By contrast, Israeli professionals handling the hostage issue considered Hamas’s statement a positive signal that could open a path to agreement.