AP file photo
Hamas has responded to US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire proposal, agreeing to release all Israeli captives while seeking negotiations on other elements of the 20-point plan. In response, Trump urged Israel to immediately halt its bombing of Gaza.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that Israel is ready to implement the “first stage” of Trump’s peace plan to end the conflict in the beseiged Gaza Strip as well.
What did Hamas say?
Hamas has accepted key elements of Trump’s plan, including ending the conflict, Israel’s withdrawal, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, aid and reconstruction efforts, and opposition to the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza. However, its statement differed from the plan on Gaza’s future governance and Hamas’ role, and it called for further negotiations.Hamas has agreed to release all Israeli captives, dead and alive, as part of a plan to end the war and secure Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza. The group also proposed transferring power in Gaza to a body of Palestinian technocrats, while suggesting that other aspects of Trump’s 20-point plan, including disarmament, be negotiated within a comprehensive Palestinian framework involving Hamas.
How Hamas’s position differs from Trump’s plan
Hamas has not addressed the proposed deployment of a “temporary International Stabilisation Force” in Gaza under Trump’s plan, which would involve the US working with Arab partners. The group said it is willing to transfer Gaza’s administration to a Palestinian body of independent technocrats, based on national consensus and supported by Arab and Islamic entities, as cited by Reuters.This marks a change from previous offers to hand over Gaza’s administration to a different body.The Trump plan calls for Gaza to be governed temporarily by a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, without naming specific individuals or groups. The committee would be overseen by a new international transitional body, led by Trump and including other members such as former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.The Trump plan also bars Hamas from any role in Gaza’s governance “directly, indirectly or in any form” and calls for the territory’s demilitarization.In its response, Hamas said it considers itself part of a “comprehensive Palestinian national framework” and did not address demilitarization, emphasizing that decisions should be made collectively and in line with international law.Hamas’s statement made no mention of disarmament, a key Israeli demand in Trump’s plan. It also did not address the proposal offering amnesty and safe passage for Hamas members who “decommission” their weapons.
