Trump asks Israel to stop bombing Gaza, saying Hamas is ready for peace
While Hamas said it was ready to release hostages held in Gaza under a peace deal proposed by Trump, the militant group wanted negotiations on the details and a say in the future of the Palestinian territory.
Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Hamas on Friday issued its response to Trump's 20-point plan after the president gave the Palestinian militant group until Sunday to accept or face grave consequences.
The president, who has cast himself as the only person capable of achieving peace in Gaza, has invested significant political capital in efforts to end a two-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands and left US ally Israel increasingly isolated on the world stage.
Trump said he believed Hamas had showed it was "ready for a lasting peace" and he put the onus on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
"Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
"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."
Trump also pledged in a brief video that all sides would be treated fairly in Gaza talks, as he hailed Hamas's apparent agreement to free hostages as a "special day".
"Everybody will be treated fairly," Trump said in the message lasting just over a minute, which was posted on his Truth Social network. "This is a very special day, maybe unprecedented."
In response, Hamas called statements by Trump "encouraging" and expressed readiness to immediately negotiate for the release of hostages and an end to the war.
Israel is preparing for an "immediate implementation" of the first stage of Trump's Gaza plan for the immediate release of all hostages following a response from Hamas, the Israeli prime minister's office said early on Saturday.
The country's political echelon instructed the military to reduce offensive activity in Gaza, Israeli media reported.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who spearheaded efforts for wider recognition of a Palestinian state in a bid to help end the conflict, said in a post on X: "Hamas' commitment must be followed up without delay."
Egypt said on Saturday it hopes "positive development" after Hamas' response to Trump's Gaza plan will lead all parties to implement the plan, according to a foreign ministry statement. It said it will exert all effort with Arab states, the US, and European countries to reach a permanent ceasefire in the war-torn enclave.
Qatar also said it has begun coordination with mediator Egypt and the US to continue talks on Trump's Gaza plan to reach an end to the war, the Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson said on X. He said Qatar welcomed Hamas' response to Trump's plan.
THORNY ISSUES STILL TO BE IRONED OUT
Hamas, in a copy of its response seen by Reuters, did not say if it would agree to disarm and demilitarise Gaza — something Israel and the US want but Hamas has rejected before.
It also did not agree to an Israeli withdrawal in stages, as opposed to the immediate, full withdrawal Hamas demands.
A senior Hamas official told Al Jazeera that the group would not disarm before Israel's occupation of the enclave ends, comments that underscored the gap between the parties as the war approaches its two-year mark.
Qatar has begun coordination with mediator Egypt and the United States to continue talks on Trump's Gaza plan, the Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson said on X.
Trump's plan specifies an immediate ceasefire, an exchange of all hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a staged Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and the introduction of a transitional government led by an international body.
HAMAS SEEKS FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS
In its response to Trump's plan, Hamas said it "appreciates the Arab, Islamic, and international efforts, as well as the efforts of US President Donald Trump, calling for an end to the war on the Gaza Strip, the exchange of prisoners, (and) the immediate entry of aid", among other terms.
It said it was announcing its "approval of releasing all occupation prisoners — both living and remains — according to the exchange formula contained in President Trump’s proposal, with the necessary field conditions for implementing the exchange".
But Hamas added: "In this context, the movement affirms its readiness to immediately enter, through the mediators, into negotiations to discuss the details."
The group said it was ready "to hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of independents (technocrats) based on Palestinian national consensus and supported by Arab and Islamic backing".
But Hamas did not make clear whether it would agree to Trump's proposal that it be barred from exercising political power in Gaza. But the group said it should be "included and will contribute" to any Palestinian national discussion on Gaza's future.
Hamas has previously offered to release all hostages and to hand over administration of the Gaza Strip to a different body.
TRUMP EARLIER WARNED OF "ALL HELL"
Earlier on Friday, Trump warned that "all hell" would break out in Gaza if Hamas fails to sign up to his proposal for the enclave.
"An agreement must be reached with Hamas by Sunday Evening at SIX (6) P.M., Washington, DC time," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
Trump added: "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."
After presenting his plan to Arab and Muslim nations last week, Trump hosted Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, where the Israeli prime minister endorsed the document, saying it satisfied Israel's war aims.
Hamas was not involved in the negotiations that led to the proposal, which calls on the militant group to disarm, a demand it has previously rejected.
TRUMP PLAN "A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY", UN AID CHIEF SAYS
Israel blocked Gaza City's main road on Thursday and has told its million residents to flee south, warning it was their last chance to escape a major offensive. The United Nations has repeatedly said that nowhere in Gaza is safe.
"President Trump's Gaza initiative opens a window of opportunity. It offers both a chance for Palestinians to receive life-saving aid at the scale urgently needed, and to bring the hostages home," UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said in a statement on Friday. "We are ready and eager to act."
Trump’s plan calls for aid to Gaza to be distributed without interference by neutral international groups, with the UN promising 170,000 metric tons ready to enter.
Israel began its offensive in Gaza after the Oct 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken as hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Israel says 48 hostages remain, 20 of whom are alive. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 66,000 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to Gaza health authorities.
