Overview

• President Donald Trump's 20‑point proposal pairs a phased Israeli pullout and large prisoner releases with Hamas freeing all remaining captives, disarming and relinquishing governing roles in Gaza.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office says Israel is preparing to implement the plan's first phase aimed at the immediate release of hostages, with further talks expected to finalize details.
• Hamas issued a conditional reply, signaling it would release captives only if unspecified on‑site exchange terms are met and casting itself as part of a future Palestinian national structure.
• Roughly 48 abductees are still held in Gaza and Israeli assessments suggest about 20 may be alive; families with German citizenship met Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin and praised Ambassador Steffen Seibert's support.
• New testimony underscores the captives' condition, as former hostage Tal Shoham described 505 days of starvation, scurvy and abuse, reinforcing families' warnings that past aid restrictions and ongoing fighting threaten survivors.