WASHINGTON (BN24) — President Donald Trump on Friday ordered Israel to immediately stop bombing the Gaza Strip after Hamas said it had accepted key elements of his peace plan to end the nearly two-year war and release all remaining hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, attacks.
Hamas announced that it was prepared to free the hostages and transfer authority in Gaza to other Palestinian actors, though it noted that some parts of Trump’s proposal required further internal consultation. Senior Hamas officials indicated that significant disagreements remained and that additional negotiations would be necessary.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government was ready to implement the “first stage” of Trump’s plan, referring to the release of hostages. But in a statement, his office reiterated that Israel would seek to end the war on its own previously stated terms, without clarifying how differences with Hamas might be resolved.
Trump welcomed Hamas’s initial response, writing on social media:
“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! Right now, it’s far too dangerous to do that. We are already in discussions on details to be worked out.”
Hamas emphasized that questions regarding Gaza’s future and Palestinian rights should be settled through a unified Palestinian position and international law. The statement made no mention of disarmament — a key Israeli demand included in Trump’s proposal.
Trump’s latest push comes days before the second anniversary of the Hamas-led assault and as he seeks to fulfill his pledge to end the war and bring the remaining hostages home.
Key mediators, including Egypt and Qatar, welcomed the developments. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said Doha would “continue discussions on the plan.” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres urged all sides to “seize the opportunity to bring the tragic conflict in Gaza to an end,” while French President Emmanuel Macron wrote that “the release of all hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza are within reach.”
The main organization representing the families of Israeli hostages called Trump’s directive “essential to prevent serious and irreversible harm” to the captives, urging Netanyahu to begin “efficient and swift negotiations” for their return.
Earlier this week, Trump unveiled a proposal that would halt fighting, secure the release of 48 remaining hostages — around 20 believed to be alive — within three days, and initiate a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from much of Gaza. Hamas would disarm and relinquish political control, while Israel would free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and allow a major influx of humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts.
The plan would also scrap proposals to relocate Gaza’s population abroad. Instead, the territory’s roughly 2 million residents would fall under temporary international administration, overseen jointly by Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The plan does not outline a future reunification of Gaza with the West Bank in a Palestinian state.
Trump warned Hamas that it must agree by Sunday evening or face a severe escalation.
“If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas,” he wrote. “THERE WILL BE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.”
Senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk told Al Jazeera the plan “cannot be implemented without negotiations.” He said the group agreed in principle to return all hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners but cautioned it might take longer than 72 hours to locate remains of captives who have died.
He added that Hamas was open to transferring its weapons to a future Palestinian governing body, though this was not included in the official statement. Another official, Osama Hamdan, told Al Araby TV that Hamas rejects foreign administration of Gaza, calling the entry of outside forces “unacceptable.”
Since ending a previous ceasefire in March, Israel has tightened its blockade on Gaza, cutting off food, medicine and other goods for more than two months. Israeli forces have flattened and depopulated large parts of the territory, pushing hundreds of thousands to flee.
Humanitarian officials say Gaza City entered famine shortly before Israel’s most recent offensive. Olga Cherevko, a spokesperson for the U.N. humanitarian office, described seeing displaced families living in the Shifa Hospital parking lot, unable to move south due to lack of resources.
Most of Hamas’s senior leadership in Gaza and thousands of fighters have been killed, but the group retains influence in areas beyond Israel’s military control and continues sporadic attacks. Hamas has consistently said it will release remaining hostages only in exchange for a permanent ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal — conditions Netanyahu has rejected.
The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducting 251 others. Israel’s military response has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which the U.N. and independent experts view as the most reliable source for wartime casualties.
The offensive has displaced roughly 90% of Gaza’s population, rendering large parts of the territory uninhabitable.
