by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
JERUSALEM/CAIRO/WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – Hamas has announced it is prepared to release all Israeli hostages, both alive and dead, and hand over governance of Gaza to an independent body of Palestinian technocrats under a plan proposed by U.S. President Donald J. Trump.
In a statement on social media platform Telegram Friday, the group said it was willing to “immediately begin negotiations through the mediators to discuss the details of this agreement.”
Hamas added that its approval was based on “Palestinian national consensus and Arab and Islamic support.”
It said it would release hostages “as long as the field conditions for the exchange are met.”
The Islamist group, designated a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, and the European Union, further stressed that it “renewed its agreement to hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of independents (technocrats).”
INTERNATIONAL MEDIATORS
Hamas conveyed its response to international mediators, according to wire agencies. However, the group did not directly address the Trump plan’s demand for complete disarmament under international supervision.
Trump, who unveiled the 20-point peace plan Monday at the White House alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reacted positively to Hamas’s statement.
“Based on the statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
“Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly! … This is not about Gaza alone, this is about long sought PEACE in the Middle East,” he added.
Earlier, Trump warned Hamas it had until Sunday evening to accept the proposal. “If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas,” he stressed.
IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE
Trump’s plan calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages within 72 hours, a major prisoner exchange, and Israel’s phased withdrawal from Gaza.
It also envisions billions in international aid, a special economic zone, and an interim technocratic administration under international supervision.
But Hamas’s statement avoided confirming acceptance of the plan’s requirement to disarm, or the stipulation that it play no role in Gaza’s future governance. Analysts say these unresolved points remain the most difficult to bridge.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Cairo was urging Hamas to accept the plan but noted further discussions were needed, especially on security guarantees.
Leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, and other Muslim-majority nations welcomed Trump’s initiative as “sincere.”
EUROPE REACTS
European countries that recently recognized Palestinian statehood also expressed cautious support.
Yet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his opposition to Palestinian statehood, insisting Israel must not allow Hamas to re-emerge politically.
The announcement comes amid heavy Israeli ground operations in Gaza City, where humanitarian conditions have deteriorated sharply.
The war began after Hamas-led terror attacks on October 7, 2023, that killed some 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in about 250 hostages being taken.
Since then, Hamas-run health authorities in Gaza say more than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military actions — a figure that cannot be independently verified.
Hamas officials do not differentiate in the given casualties between civilians and combatants.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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