(NewsNation) — President Trump on Friday said Hamas’ willingness to release all remaining hostages in Gaza indicates the militant group is “ready” for peace with Israel, even though Hamas has only accepted parts his proposed peace plan.
“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,” the president said on the Truth Social media platform.
The White House earlier this week pushed a 20-point peace plan to end fighting in Gaza and gave Hamas until Sunday to accept the terms, which include releasing all living and dead hostages in Gaza.
Hamas said Friday it would agree to release “all occupation prisoners — both living and remains — according to the exchange formula contained in President Trump’s proposal.” But Hamas leaders said they want to negotiate other details with mediators.
This seemed to satisfy Trump, and later Friday, Israeli Prime Minister signaled support in moving forward.
„In light of Hamas’s response, Israel is preparing for the immediate implementation of the first stage of President Trump’s plan for the immediate release of all the hostages,“ his office said Friday. „We will continue to work in full cooperation with the President and his team to end the war in accordance with the principles set by Israel, which align with President Trump’s vision.“
Friday’s developments buoyed the hopes of peace proponents, including United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. But others were skeptical. Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called the statement by Hamas a “classic ‘Yes, but’” response that ultimately rejects the president’s “take it or leave it” deal.
“No disarmament, keeping Gaza under Palestinian control, and tying hostage release to negotiations, along with other problems,” Graham said of the response.
Families of hostages react as Trump peace plan moves forward
Moshe Lavi, whose brother-in-law, Omri Miran, is among the 20 hostages believed to be alive in Gaza, said the potential peace deal is worth pursuing but won’t fix all problems between Israel and its enemies, at least not immediately.
“This is merely one phase within the larger conflict that will take decades if not centuries more to resolve. We saw how many centuries it took Europe to become a relatively stable place, only in the later stages of the 20th century,“ Lavi told „CUOMO“ on Friday. „This is not the end of the conflict, but hopefully we can lay foundations for a better future for both the Israelis and Palestinians.“
Another 28 hostages are believed to be dead, with their bodies held by Hamas. Itay Chen is presumed to be in the latter category. The dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, 19, was serving in the Israel Defense Forces on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas forces entered Israel and killed more than 1,200 people, mostly Israelis, which sparked the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Chen’s father, Ruby Chen, told „Elizabeth Vargas Reports“ he’s feeling „cautious optimism“ about the Trump peace plan and the return of hostages. He added: „We have been doing this for two years. So, we are feeling somewhat numb.“
Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 66,000 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to Gaza health authorities.
Reuters contributed to this report.
