World leaders have welcomed Hamas's positive response on Friday to US President Donald Trump's plan to free Israeli hostages in Gaza and end the nearly two-year war there.
After the group issued a statement addressing the proposal, Mr Trump said he believes Hamas is ready for peace.
“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!” Mr Trump posted on his Truth Social network.
The US leader also said in a brief video message that “everybody will be treated fairly” in talks on the future of Gaza.
Hamas on Friday responded to Mr Trump's proposed peace plan for the enclave, just hours after he issued a deadline for the group to reach an agreement or face “hell”.
The group agreed to release all Israeli hostages captured in its October 7, 2023 attack but said other aspects of Mr Trump’s peace plan would be subject to negotiation.
A statement by the group said its response was formulated after “exhaustive” consultations within its leadership, other Palestinian factions as well as mediators and friends. The objective, it added, was to “reach a responsible position to deal with” Mr Trump's plan.
Israel ready for hostage release
In response, Israel said overnight that it is preparing for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas.
“In light of Hamas's response, Israel is preparing for the immediate implementation of the first stage of the Trump plan for the release of all the hostages,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement.
“We will continue to work in full co-operation with the President and his team to end the war in accordance with the principles set out by Israel, which align with President Trump's vision,” the statement added.
The statement made no reference to Mr Trump’s call for an immediate halt to Israeli strikes in Gaza.
Although the announcement was made over the Sabbath, when many Jews are religiously forbidden from working, it drew praise from leading Israeli figures, who also cautioned against the possibility that Mr Netanyahu may try to derail the deal.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid said Mr Trump was “right that there is an opportunity here like no other to release the hostages and end the war”, in a post on X. He called on Israel to announce that it was joining negotiations.
Einav Zangauker, the mother of hostage Matan Zangauker and one of Mr Netanyahu’s fiercest critics over the war, reposted Mr Trump’s statement with the caption, “Did you choose Netanyahu?” Ms Zangauker, who famously used to vote for the prime minister, is now one of the leading figures in the movement for the release of Israeli hostages.
Yair Golan of the Democrats Party said: “Our collective mission is not to allow any – neither Hamas nor Netanyahu and his government … to sabotage Trump's agreement”.
Regional reactions
Qatar and Egypt, key mediators in the ceasefire talks, praised the announcement.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said that his country “welcomes the announcement by Hamas of its agreement to President Trump's plan”, also expressing support for Mr Trump's call for an immediate ceasefire.
Egypt said it hoped “this positive development will lead all parties to rise to the level of responsibility by committing to implementing President Trump's plan on the ground and ending the war”.
Hamas said it welcomed Mr Trump's efforts to end the war in Gaza, agreed to the release of all 48 hostages and said it was ready to immediately enter negotiations to discuss the details.
However, the statement said the future of Gaza and the rights of Palestinians should be decided by “national consensus” and be based on relevant international and laws and resolutions.
Sources told The National that the Hamas response handed to mediators on Friday was much more detailed than the statement and sought clarifications on parts of Mr Trump's 20-point proposal.
The militant group also said in its response that it cannot hand over all hostages it is holding within 72 hours, as demanded by Mr Trump's plan.
Global reactions
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres “welcomes and is encouraged by the statement issued by Hamas announcing its readiness to release hostages and to engage”, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
“He urges all parties to seize the opportunity to bring the tragic conflict in Gaza to an end,” the statement said.
In Europe, leaders and senior officials also welcomed the announcement.
“The release of all hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza are within reach!” French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X, joining a chorus of hopeful European reactions to Hamas's response.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the plan represented “the best chance for peace” in the conflict and that Germany “fully supports” Mr Trump's “call upon both sides”.
Britain's Keir Starmer called Hamas's acceptance “a significant step forwards” and urged all sides “to implement the agreement without delay”.
Turkey's Foreign Ministry said the Palestinian group's response “provides an opportunity for the immediate establishment of a ceasefire in Gaza”.
