Following statements by Hamas and US President Donald Trump regarding the US proposal to end the war in Gaza and release the hostages, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir met with top generals for a "special assessment of the situation in light of developments."
An army statement said that "according to the order of the political level," Zamir had asked the Israel Defense Forces to prepare "for the implementation of the first phase of Trump's plan for the release of the hostages," without providing details on what exactly this order included, the report said. timesofisrael.
The statement also appears to confirm reports that political leaders have ordered the IDF to halt the offensive to take Gaza City and instead focus on defensive operations, stressing that "the security of our forces is of paramount importance and all IDF capabilities will be assigned to the Southern Command for the protection of our troops."
"The Chief of Staff emphasized that, due to operational sensitivity, the forces must demonstrate increased readiness and awareness. The need for a rapid response to neutralize any threat was also emphasized," the statement added.
This information comes after a video message from US President Donald Trump, in which he sent a call to Israel to stop the bombing of Gaza, after Hamas accepted the US president's proposal to end the war in Gaza.
Israeli military radio reported that the order calls for operations to be reduced to a minimum, and for troops on the ground to conduct only so-called "defensive maneuvers."
This order was issued after overnight talks between Israeli and American officials. /Telegraph/
