US President Donald Trump on Friday welcomed Hamas’s decision to release the remaining hostages taken during its 2023 attack on Israel and urged the Israeli government to immediately stop bombing the Gaza Strip.
This came just after Hamas announced that it had accepted parts of Trump’s recently proposed 20-point peace plan aimed at ending the nearly two-year-long war. While the group agreed to release the last of the hostages, it did not commit to Trump’s proposal to disarm.
“Based on the Statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE. Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly!” Trump wrote on Truth Social
“Right now, it’s far too dangerous to do that. We are already in discussions on details to be worked out. This is not about Gaza alone, this is about long sought PEACE in the Middle East,” Trump said.
What Hamas said
Hamas also affirmed that it would release the rest of the hostages free, yet added that other aspects of the deal would need more consultations with the Palestinians. The senior officials of the group stressed that the key disagreements still exist and will require further negotiations.
The group also said that issues related to Gaza’s governance and broader Palestinian rights should be decided through a “unanimous Palestinian stance” and based on international law.
Trump, who has repeatedly promised to bring “lasting peace” to the Middle East, appears eager to finalise a deal before the second anniversary of the 7 October 2023 attack.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government was ready to move forward with the “first stage” of Trump’s peace plan.
His office released a statement saying that Israel remained “committed to ending the war based on principles it has set out before.”
