Washington (TDI): US President Donald Trump on Saturday urged Israel to immediately stop its bombardment of Gaza, saying he believes Hamas is showing readiness for peace after the group signaled conditional acceptance of his ceasefire proposal.
Hamas announced it was prepared to agree to parts of Trump’s plan, including a hostage release arrangement, though it avoided addressing the most contentious points such as disarmament. The group said it was open to further talks to settle outstanding issues.
Shortly after Hamas issued its response, Trump shared the statement on his Truth Social platform. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel was preparing to move forward with the first stage of the plan, focused on the release of hostages. Israeli media later reported that military commanders had been instructed to scale back offensive operations in Gaza.
Despite this, Hamas made no commitment to disarm or accept Israel’s proposed gradual withdrawal. Instead, it reiterated demands for an immediate and full Israeli pullout. A senior Hamas figure told Al Jazeera that the group would not consider disarming until Israel’s occupation ends, highlighting the gulf that remains between the parties as the war approaches its second anniversary.
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In its statement, Hamas said it welcomed the diplomatic efforts of Arab, Islamic, and international mediators, including Trump, to stop the war and allow aid into Gaza. The group also signaled readiness to release all Israeli captives, alive or deceased, under the terms of Trump’s proposal, but stressed that implementation would depend on “necessary field conditions.”
The group also expressed willingness to transfer administration of Gaza to a non-partisan Palestinian technocratic authority, supported by regional and international backers, echoing earlier proposals it had made, according to media reports.
Trump had given Hamas until late Sunday night to accept his plan, warning that failure to comply would unleash “all hell, like no one has ever seen before.” His proposal, backed by Netanyahu, calls for a ceasefire, the release of hostages within 72 hours, Hamas’s disarmament, and a phased Israeli withdrawal, eventually paving the way for a transitional authority headed by Trump himself. Hamas was not part of the negotiations that produced the plan.
Read More: Qatar, Egypt, Turkiye in Talks with Hamas on Trump’s Gaza Proposal
On the ground, however, Israeli strikes continued. Gaza’s civil defense agency reported at least 11 deaths on Friday, including eight in Gaza City, amid heavy bombardment. The UN again warned that no area of Gaza can be considered safe, with UNICEF’s James Elder describing designated “safe zones” in the south as “places of death.” Amnesty International condemned what it called a “catastrophic wave of displacement,” with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians pushed into overcrowded southern enclaves lacking food, water, and medical care.
