Hamas has expressed willingness to release hostages according to the plan’s “formula,” likely referring to the release of Palestinian prisoners. The group also reiterated its longstanding openness to handing power over to a politically independent Palestinian body. However, Hamas emphasized that aspects of the proposal related to the future of the Gaza Strip and Palestinian rights should be decided based on a “unanimous Palestinian stance,” reached in coordination with other factions and grounded in international law.
Notably, the statement made no mention of Hamas disarming—a key Israeli demand included in former President Trump’s peace proposal.
—
### Trump’s Plan: Ending the Fighting and Returning Hostages
Donald Trump appears eager to fulfill his pledges to end the war and secure the return of dozens of hostages ahead of the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attack on Tuesday. His peace plan, unveiled earlier this week alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been accepted by Israel and welcomed internationally.
Key mediators such as Egypt and Qatar, however, have indicated that some elements of the deal require further negotiation, without providing specifics.
“An Agreement must be reached with Hamas by Sunday Evening at SIX (6) P.M., Washington, D.C. time,” Trump wrote on social media Friday. “Every Country has signed on! If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas. THERE WILL BE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.”
—
### Details of the Peace Plan
Under the plan, Hamas would immediately release the remaining 48 hostages—around 20 of whom are believed to be alive. The group would also relinquish power and disarm. In return, Israel would halt its offensive, withdraw from much of the territory, release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and allow an influx of humanitarian aid and eventual reconstruction.
Plans to relocate much of Gaza’s population to other countries would be shelved. The territory, home to some 2 million Palestinians, would be placed under international governance, with Trump himself and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair overseeing it.
However, the plan provides no pathway for eventual reunification with the Israeli-occupied West Bank in a future Palestinian state.
A Hamas official told The Associated Press that some elements of the plan are unacceptable and require amendment but did not provide further details.
—
### Palestinian Perspectives and Regional Pressures
While Palestinians long for an end to the war, many view this and previous U.S. proposals as heavily favoring Israel.
Since ending an earlier ceasefire in March, Israel has sought to ramp up pressure on Hamas. The territory has been sealed off from food, medicine, and other essential goods for two and a half months. Large areas have been flattened, seized, and largely depopulated.
Experts determined that Gaza City had slid into famine shortly before Israel launched a major offensive aimed at occupying it. An estimated 400,000 people have fled the city in recent weeks, but hundreds of thousands remain.
Olga Cherevko, a spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office, shared during a visit on Thursday that several displaced families were sheltering in the parking lot of Shifa Hospital. “They are not able to move south because they just cannot afford it,” she told The Associated Press. “One of the families had three children and the woman was pregnant with her fourth. There were many other vulnerable cases there, including elderly people and people with disabilities.”
—
### Military Situation and Hamas’ Stance
Trump wrote that most of Hamas’ fighters are “surrounded and MILITARILY TRAPPED, just waiting for me to give the word, GO, for their lives to be quickly extinguished. As for the rest, we know where and who you are, and you will be hunted down, and killed.”
Most of Hamas’ top leaders in Gaza and thousands of its fighters have been killed. Yet the group retains influence in areas not controlled by the Israeli military and continues sporadic attacks that have killed and wounded Israeli soldiers.
Hamas has maintained that it will only release the remaining hostages—its sole bargaining chip and potential human shields—in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has rejected these terms, insisting that Hamas must surrender and disarm.
—
### Approaching the Second Anniversary
On October 7, 2023, thousands of Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, attacking army bases, farming communities, and an outdoor music festival. The attacks killed approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 others, most of whom have since been released through ceasefires or other deals.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has resulted in the deaths of more than 66,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. While the ministry does not specify how many were civilians or combatants, it states that women and children make up around half of the casualties. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and is considered by the UN and many independent experts to provide the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.
The offensive has displaced roughly 90 percent of Gaza’s population, often multiple times, and left much of the territory uninhabitable.
—
### U.S. Involvement and Ongoing Challenges
Both the Biden and Trump administrations have attempted to end the fighting and facilitate the return of hostages while continuing to provide extensive military and diplomatic support to Israel.
—
*This story is sourced from third-party syndicated feeds and agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for the dependability, trustworthiness, reliability, or accuracy of the content. Mid-day management and mid-day.com reserve the sole right to alter, delete, or remove content at their absolute discretion without prior notice.*
https://www.mid-day.com/news/world-news/article/hamas-says-it-accepts-some-elements-of-gaza-peace-plan-after-trump-issues-ultimatum-23597149
