Israeli bombing of Gaza City has "significantly subsided" as Israel's army says 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 an official who was not authorised to speak to the media on the record.

The official said no forces have been removed from the territory.

Still, Shifa Hospital director Mohamed Abu Selmiyah told the AP on Saturday that Israeli strikes killed five Palestinians across Gaza City, while bombing had "significantly subsided".

The army statement came hours after President Donald Trump ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza once Hamas said it had accepted some elements of his plan.

Trump welcomed the Hamas statement, sayi

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