Hamas announced that it had agreed to “immediately” enter negotiations for the release of all hostages according to President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan — a potential breakthrough after months of failed efforts to end the war.
Hamas stopped short of accepting the Trump proposal unconditionally. The militant group said it is ready to immediately enter negotiations through mediators to discuss the details of the exchange and said it is ready to hand over the governance of Gaza to “a Palestinian authority of independents (technocrats) based on Palestinian national consensus and with reliance on Arab and Islamic support.”
The response to the Trump proposal, which was sent to the US through mediators, was obtained by CNN.
Trump — who earlier Friday had issued an ultimatum for Hamas to respond by Sunday evening — responded positively to the announcement, writing on Truth Social that he believes Hamas is “ready for a lasting PEACE.” And he called on Israel to halt its bombardment of Gaza in order to extract hostages.
“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,” Trump added.
In a subsequent video posted to Truth Social, the president called it a “big day,” while cautioning: “We’ll see how it all turns out. We have to get the final word down in concrete.”
The release of the remaining 48 hostages within 72 hours and the agreement to relinquish power in Gaza were two of the key demands of the Trump proposal but were viewed as potential red lines that would lead to Hamas’ rejection of the plan.
The stated agreement of Hamas to these two conditions provides a pathway forward for a ceasefire proposal that has international backing, especially amid growing calls for an end to the war. But a finalized ceasefire deal is far from certain, even with Qatar, Egypt and Turkey pressuring Hamas to accept the proposal.
