Netanyahu expects Israeli hostages back 'in coming days' as he praises 'dear friend' Trump

Benjamin Netanyahu has said in a televised address that he hopes Hamas will release all Israeli hostages "in the coming days". Speaking about a potential peace deal and efforts to end the war in Gaza, the Israeli Prime Minister claimed to have never given up hope of returning the hostages.

He vowed that "those who are alive and those who have passed away" will be returned during the coming Feast of the Tabernacles, or Sukkot, a Jewish festival which starts on 6 October and lasts until 13 October. He added: "At the beginning of the war, one of our officials said, we doubt if we'll be able to bring even one hostage alive back. But I never gave up on the others nor achieving the other objectives of the war."

It comes as Israeli bombing of Gaza City has "significantly subsided" though at least five Palestinians were killed, a hospital official said on Saturday, as Israel's army said the country's leaders had instructed it to prepare for the first phase of the US plan to end the war in Gaza.

Israel has moved to a defensive-only position in Gaza and will not actively strike, said one official. The official said no forces have been removed from the territory.

Concluding the short address, Netanyahu thanked his "dear friend Donald Trump", claiming that "he is not going to suffer any delays on the part of Hamas."

He concluded with a message paying tribute to the Israeli Defence Forces, as well as "the bereaved families who sacrificed those who they cherish the most" and "the citizens of the State of Israel, who have been so resilient and stood steadfastly."

The speech was short on detail surrounding the structure and terms of any potential peace deal, although Netanyahu emphasised that "Hamas will be disarmed and Gaza will be demilitarised - either the easy way or the hard way, but it will be achieved."

Hamas previously said that it was willing to release the hostages and hand over power to other Palestinians, but that other aspects of the proposed peace plan require further consultations among Palestinians.

Senior Hamas officials suggested there were still major disagreements that required further negotiations.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was prepared for the implementation of the "first stage" of Mr Trump's plan, apparently referring to the release of hostages.

But his office said in a statement that Israel was committed to ending the war based on principles it has set out before, without addressing potential gaps with Hamas.

Mr Trump welcomed the Hamas statement, saying: "I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE."

"Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly! Right now, it's far too dangerous to do that. We are already in discussions on details to be worked out," he wrote on social media.

Hamas said aspects of the proposal touching on the future of the Gaza Strip and Palestinian rights should be decided on the basis of a "unanimous Palestinian stance" reached with other factions and based on international law.

The statement also made no mention of Hamas disarming, a key Israeli demand included in Mr Trump's proposal.