Hamas says it agreed to release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, as long as “the field conditions for the exchange are met” and expressed willingness to negotiate through mediators on President Donald Trump’s plan for peace in the Middle East.
In their statement on Friday, Hamas said that the group “affirms its readiness to immediately enter into negotiations through the mediators to discuss the details of this agreement.”
“The movement also renews its agreement to hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of independents (technocrats), based on Palestinian national consensus and Arab and Islamic support,” Hamas said.
Hamas was responding to a 20-point peace plan Trump outlined on Monday at the White House alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump replied positively to the response in a post on Truth Social.
“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! 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,” he wrote.
Earlier on Friday, Trump said Hamas had until 6 p.m. Sunday to accept the ceasefire proposal.
“If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas,” Trump wrote in a lengthy post on Truth Social.
Hamas on Friday also said it wanted to further discuss other elements of the peace plan.
The White House unveiled a 20-point peace plan that Trump said could immediately end the war if accepted, while pledging support for Israel in destroying Hamas if the terrorist group rejects it.
“The other issues mentioned in President Trump’s proposal regarding the future of the Gaza Strip and the inherent rights of the Palestinian people are linked to a comprehensive national position and based on relevant international laws and resolutions,” the group said. “They are to be discussed within a comprehensive Palestinian national framework. Hamas will be part of it and will contribute to it with full responsibility.”
Under the plan, Israel’s assault in Gaza would end immediately once both sides agree to the proposal, with all hostages, alive and dead, to be released within 72 hours. The plan says no one will be forced to leave Gaza and those who do can return.
A pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood is outlined as a possible outcome, but not a guarantee.
By agreeing to hand over administration of the Gaza Strip to an independent body of technocrats, Hamas appears to have agreed to one of the key points of Trump’s plan to relinquish control but it is still not clear whether they will agree to “not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form,” as the plan stipulates.
The Hamas response does not address one critical point: disarmament. Trump’s plan states that Hamas must agree to “a process of demilitarization of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning.” This will likely be one of the major sticking points if negotiations proceed.
Hamas’ response comes as the Israeli military pressed ahead with a ground operation in famine-stricken Gaza City, despite mounting international pressure and isolation over its assault on the devastated Palestinian enclave.
Trump’s peace plan was met with cautious optimism earlier in the week by leaders elsewhere in the Middle East and around the world.
The Palestinian Authority, which partly controls the occupied West Bank, praised Trump for his “sincere and tireless efforts” to “end the war on Gaza” and reiterated its commitment to making reforms that could pave the way for a future Palestinian state.
Muslim powers including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and Turkey, welcomed the plan in a joint statement calling Trump’s efforts “sincere.”
The proposal also received support from Europe, with countries that had recently defied Washington by formally recognizing Palestinian statehood welcoming the initiative.
But hours after Trump announced the plan, Netanyahu reiterated his past vows to oppose Palestinian statehood.
“Instead of Hamas isolating us, we turned the tables and isolated Hamas,” he said in Hebrew in a video discussing his U.S. trip.
The developments come on the eve of the second anniversary of the fighting, which began after the Hamas-led terror attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, in which 1,200 people were killed and about 250 were taken hostage.
According to health officials in the enclave, Israeli forces have killed more than 65,000 Palestinians in the past two years.
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