SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Hamas says it will release all the remaining hostages in Gaza, both living and dead. The militant group accepted President Trump's ceasefire deal yesterday, but said it still had some conditions to negotiate. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said his government is preparing to implement the first stage of Trump's deal. NPR's Emily Feng joins us now from Tel Aviv. Emily, thanks for being with us.
EMILY FENG, BYLINE: Hey, Scott. It's a pleasure.
SIMON: It seems like it could be a serious step toward actually ending the two-year war. Is it?
FENG: It is.
SIMON: And what's in play? What's in the plan?
FENG: Yes, you're right. It is. You have Israel, you have Hamas, you have major Arab countries like Qatar and Egypt and then, of course, the U.S., who proposed this current formulation, all signing on to the basic principles of this plan to end the war. Now, the basic outline of this plan is not a new one. Hamas has said it's going to return all hostages, living and dead, within 72 hours. Then Israel is supposed to stop its war in Gaza. And then Israel, the U.S. and Arab countries, working with Palestinian leaders, figure out a day-after plan to govern and rebuild the enclave. What is new is there's been so much pressure mounting on all sides, and that has created this potential breakthrough. And a person briefed by an Israeli official told NPR today that Israel's military has been ordered to reduce their activity in Gaza to, quote, "a minimum" and only for defensive actions.
SIMON: But no ceasefire yet, right?
FENG: No. And in fact, NPR's Anas Baba, who is in Gaza - and he's been there for the entirety of this war - says there was still shelling that continued overnight. There were at least three strikes this morning. Israel's military said Gaza City, which is the Strip's most populous urban center, is still off-limits. And remember - this week, it had given Palestinians there a last chance to flee, saying that anyone who remained would be considered a militant. And I want to sound a note of caution. There is still a chance that this proposal falls apart.
SIMON: And, Emily, why wasn't the plan implemented right away?
FENG: So Hamas has come back and said they accept the first phase. But officials with Hamas have said they need more details on the exact timetable and process for how and when Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza and when Israel would let more food and aid in. And then there's the big question of who governs Gaza. Under the American plan, an international board of experts that would be headed by President Trump and includes the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair would initially run the enclave, and Hamas would have no role at all. But let's listen to this interview that Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, gave to Al Jazeera last night.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
OSAMA HAMDAN: (Speaking Arabic).
FENG: So Hamdan says here Hamas will not accept the affairs of Gaza to be run by a non-Palestinian party, and then he went on in this interview to say Hamas is fundamental to resolving issues facing any future Palestinian state. And that all clashes with U.S. and Israeli assertions that Hamas would have no presence and that its fighters should leave Gaza. Earlier this week, another Hamas official, named Mohammed Nazzal, also told Al Jazeera the group is not reviewing this American plan with a, quote, "black or white mindset." So they very much see this proposal as a work in progress and not a final agreement. And the question is now whether the U.S. and Israel can accept or perhaps even ignore for now these proposed revisions from Hamas and move forward to at least the first step to get the hostages back ASAP.
SIMON: And how is Hamas' response being received in Israel?
FENG: You know, there's cautious optimism. Israel's main opposition leader says he backs the proposal, as well. Many of the families of the hostages have been lobbying for an end to the war for a month so they can release the hostages and get them back. They've lent their support to this first phase of the proposal. But there's so much distrust, including a worry that Hamas is stalling for time. Officials with the group are saying in order to exhume some of the hostages' bodies, they need maybe more than the three days that have been allocated to retrieve these people's bodies in a war zone.
SIMON: Emily Feng in Tel Aviv, thanks so much.
FENG: Thanks, Scott. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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