WASHINGTON - Israel has temporarily stopped the bombing in the Gaza Strip to give hostage release and the 20-point peace deal a chance to be completed, according to US President Donald Trump on Truth Social on Saturday.

"Hamas must move quickly, or else all bets will be off," he said in a Truth Social post. "I will not tolerate delay ... Let's get this done, FAST."

In a separate post on Saturday, the president said that after negotiations, Israel has agreed to the initial withdrawal line, which has been shown to Hamas.

"When Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective, the Hostages and Prisoner Exchange will begin, and we will create the conditions for the next phase of withdrawal," he added.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he hopes to announce the release of all hostages from Gaza "in the coming days" as indirect talks with Hamas continued in Egypt on Monday on a new US plan to end the war.

ALSO READ: Hamas agrees to free all Israeli hostages, hand over Gaza administration

In a brief statement late Saturday, Netanyahu mentioned he has sent a delegation to Egypt "to finalize technical details," adding that "our goal is to contain these negotiations to a timeframe of a few days."

On Friday, Trump said that Hamas must accept the 20-point peace plan on Gaza by 6 pm Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Sunday, otherwise "all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas." Hamas announced later that it had accepted the proposal in principle and was ready to open mediated talks, a response broadly welcomed by the international community, which urged both sides to seize the chance to end the war and ease civilian suffering.

The 20-point plan outlines a ceasefire-for-hostages deal, a phased Israeli withdrawal, a demilitarized Gaza, and international oversight of Gaza's reconstruction and governance after the end of the conflict. Hamas will be excluded from the governance structure.

Under the ceasefire terms, Israel will halt military actions and pull back to the agreed lines. Hamas, within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting the agreement, must release all hostages, alive and deceased. In return, Israel will free 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1,700 Gazans who were detained after Oct 7, 2023. Disarmed Hamas members who commit to peaceful coexistence will be given amnesty and those who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries. 

ALSO READ: Hamas says Trump's Gaza peace plan needs 'substantial amendments'

Also on Saturday, the Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since Oct 7, 2023, has surpassed 67,000, Gaza's health authorities.

According to their statement, a total of 67,074 people have been killed and 169,430 wounded since the outbreak of the war. In a separate statement, the authorities reported that two children had died in the past 24 hours from starvation and malnutrition, bringing the total number of deaths linked to food shortages to 459, including 154 children.

Despite Israeli statements suggesting a reduction in military operations following Trump's call for a halt to the bombing and Hamas's agreement to release all hostages, the Israeli air force carried out a series of intensive airstrikes on Gaza City on Saturday morning.

Eyewitnesses said Israeli forces also opened fire on dozens of civilians attempting to travel from southern Gaza to the northern part of the Strip via the Netzarim corridor near Rashid Street.

READ MORE: Israel takeovers Gaza-bound aid flotilla, condemned by Türkiye, Jordan

In a statement Saturday, the Israeli army warned residents against returning to areas north of Wadi Gaza, calling it "still a dangerous combat zone," and urged civilians to use Rashid Street to move south.

A resident of the Shati neighborhood in Gaza City described the night as "one of the most violent in weeks, with explosions and shelling continuing until the early morning hours."

Israel launched a large-scale military operation in Gaza on October 7, 2023, following an unprecedented Hamas attack on southern Israel, which Israeli authorities said killed around 1,200 people and led to the capture of more than 250 hostages.