Israel has halted its ground advance into Gaza City, shifting to defensive operations after consultations with US advisors. The order from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu follows President Donald Trump's October 3 demand to end all bombings to enable hostage releases. However, airstrikes overnight into Saturday targeted residential areas in Gaza City and Khan Younis refugee camps, destroying about 20 buildings and killing at least six Palestinians, including children, Hamas-run Gaza's civil defense agency said.

The attacks, the latest despite Trump's directive, push the war's toll beyond 66,000 Palestinian deaths, mostly civilians, according to Hamas controlled Gaza health ministry, with more than 100,000 injuries and Gaza now holding the world's highest rate of child amputations per capita. Galei Tzahal military correspondent Doron Kadosh noted that the Air Force continued striking Hamas targets in Gaza City shortly after Trump's statement, with three IDF divisions maintaining a siege from all sides.

Israeli forces continue to encircle Gaza City, where spokesperson Lt. Avichay Adraee warned more than 500,000 displaced residents against returning north, citing dangers from unexploded ordnance and clashes. The conflict, triggered by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, has displaced 1.9 million Palestinians – 85 percent of Gaza's population – many multiple times, with families now sleeping on rubble-strewn open ground in the south amid a heatwave and famine risks. Gaza's Health Ministry reports nearly 2,700 additional deaths from starvation, with aid convoys stalled and markets empty.

Earlier Saturday, an airstrike in Al-Mawasi, a southern humanitarian zone, killed two children and wounded three others at Nasser Hospital, the first fatalities since Trump's call, Gaza officials claim. Amnesty International condemned the hit as part of a "catastrophic wave of mass displacement under inhumane conditions", with tens of thousands fleeing under fire.

Hamas voiced support for some elements of Trump's proposal, including the release of all 48 remaining hostages, about 20 believed alive, for a phased Israeli withdrawal, aid surge, and ceasefire. The group rejected disarmament and long-term Israeli security oversight as unacceptable, calling for talks on Gaza's future governance within a "national framework." Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a key Gaza-based militant group allied with Hamas, endorsed the response as a unified stance of Palestinian resistance factions, expressing willingness to negotiate on humanitarian aid access and Israeli troop withdrawals, according to a statement.

Internal Hamas Divide Emerges

Tensions within Hamas surfaced as the group's Gaza-based military leader, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, opposed the plan, viewing it as a ploy to dismantle the organization and rejecting a proposed US- and Arab-led International Stabilisation Force as a new occupation. Doha-based political figures appear more pragmatic, but the split could delay hostage handovers and talks. Hamas emphasized discussing Palestinian rights and Gaza's future "in an inclusive framework," signaling no full disarmament without statehood progress.

Cairo Talks Advance Amid Global Backing

Egypt and Qatar are set to host indirect negotiations in Cairo starting Sunday, led by US envoy Steve Witkoff and Israel's Ron Dermer. The focus remains on hostage swaps, prisoner releases, and aid timelines. An Israeli official warned anonymously that non-cooperation by Hamas could prompt quick escalation, as Trump's 6 p.m. ET Sunday deadline nears. Qatar has taken a leading role in coordinating talks continuation, alongside Egypt and the US. Trump's 20-point plan includes general provisions for humanitarian aid but lacks specifics on volume and access, drawing criticism from UN officials for linking relief to political concessions amid Gaza's famine crisis. 

Overnight, Netanyahu held an emergency situation assessment with a limited group of ministers, senior military leaders, and the negotiation team, excluding far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oppose the plan, Israeli Channel 11 has reported. The Prime Minister's Office also instructed all ministers and Knesset members to halt press interviews, aiming to maintain message discipline during the talks.

In a video statement released Saturday, Trump hailed Hamas's response as a "very special day" and "unprecedented," thanking Qatar, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and others for their unified efforts to end the war and bring hostages home, adding that "everybody will be treated fairly." He stressed the need for final concrete details, noting some hostages may return in poor condition but that peace in the Middle East was "very close."

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed Hamas's response and called for an immediate ceasefire to protect rights and sacred sites. Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan praised Trump's leadership for halting bloodshed, pledging Ankara's role in a just peace. Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz endorsed the initiative as a step toward a two-state solution, pledging political and financial support, according to state media. A joint statement from Qatar, Jordan, UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Türkiye backed engagement for its implementation. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged parties to seize the opportunity, while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the response a "significant step forward," pressing all sides to "implement the agreement without delay."