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Hamas signals willingness to release hostages, peace deal gains momentum

Momentum toward ending the war in Gaza has taken a significant step forward after Hamas announced it would release all remaining Israeli hostages as part of a conditional acceptance of the United States’ peace plan.

The statement came ahead of a Sunday deadline set by US President Donald Trump, who has positioned himself at the center of the negotiations.

In a video message from the Oval Office, Trump hailed Hamas’s response as a sign the group is “ready for a lasting peace,” urging Israel to halt its bombing campaign. He described it as a “big day” and thanked mediators including Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Jordan for their role in brokering the partial agreement. The president said he looked forward to the return of the hostages to their families and insisted the Middle East was “very close” to achieving peace.

Hamas’s carefully worded statement acknowledged Trump’s efforts and international mediation, committing to the release of hostages but leaving several points of the 20-part American peace plan unresolved. The group notably avoided addressing demands to disarm and instead emphasized ending the war and installing a technocratic administration in Gaza. While their acceptance remains incomplete, it provided Trump with a diplomatic opening he quickly embraced.

Negotiators in Qatar and Egypt have confirmed they are preparing to resume talks on implementing a ceasefire. Israel, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is expected to take a more cautious stance once the sabbath ends, but international pressure for a deal is mounting. Although no final agreement has yet been signed, the latest developments have injected new momentum into peace efforts that have stalled repeatedly over the past year.

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9 COMMENTS

  1. Trump save the world. The US administration have been backing Israel to the hilt with arms and money, not to mention attacking Iran and now threatening Venezuela. As for this deal, they have no idea how to negotiate in good faith, it will probably fail, as has been the case in Ukraine.

  2. Does Trump seriously believe that Israel will allow Palestinians to continue living in Gaza? The whole idea of the 7 October false flag was an excuse for Israel to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from Gaza. Israel then gets clear access to the gas field off the Gaza coastline.

  3. Total f”‘&+!g pantomime.But good luck none-the-less. Every Palestinian that stays in that hell hole is one less angry refugee. Heck, a bunch might go home.

  4. Hamas in essence has agreed to very little – calibrated resistance
    Hamas did not agree to disarm or accept international oversight under Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace.” These were central demands in the 20-point peace plan.
    Here’s a detailed breakdown of what Hamas accepted—and what they rejected or left unresolved:
    ✅ What Hamas Accepted
    – Release of all hostages (living and deceased) in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
    – Transfer of Gaza’s administration to a technocratic Palestinian body backed by Arab and Islamic states.
    – Entry into mediated negotiations to discuss further terms.
    ❌ What Hamas Did Not Accept
    – Disarmament: Hamas refused to lay down arms, citing ongoing Israeli occupation and the need for resistance.
    – International oversight: They rejected Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace,” which would include figures like Trump himself and possibly Tony Blair.
    – Exclusion from governance: Hamas did not explicitly agree to relinquish all future political roles in Gaza.
    – Phased Israeli withdrawal: Hamas insisted this must be negotiated and tied to broader Palestinian consensus.
    🧭 Strategic Implications
    – Trump framed the plan as a binary choice—peace or destruction—but Hamas responded with partial acceptance, seeking negotiation rather than surrender.
    – Israel began preparing to implement the first phase (hostage release), but did not commit to halting bombing, as Trump requested.

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