By Nidal al-Mughrabi
CAIRO (Reuters) -Hamas said on Friday it would agree to some of the terms in U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to end the Gaza war, including releasing hostages, but avoided addressing more vexing issues like disarmament and said it would seek further negotiations.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he believed the statement from Hamas showed it was “ready for a lasting PEACE” and added that “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,” Trump wrote. “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.”
Hamas 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.
According to a copy of the response seen by Reuters, Hamas did not say if it would agree to disarm and demilitarize Gaza — something Israel and the U.S. 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.
Trump posted a copy of the Hamas letter on his Truth Social page, and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted an image on X of the president recording a response to “Hamas’ acceptance of his Peace Plan.”
There was no immediate comment from Israel, which backs Trump’s proposal.
Witnesses in Gaza said Israeli military planes intensified their bombing in Gaza City in the hour after Hamas issued its statement, hitting several houses in the Remal neighborhood. There were also strikes on Khan Younis but no reports of casualties, residents said.
In a post on X, Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham called the Hamas response “unfortunately predictable” and said it amounted to a rejection of the plan.
“A classic ‘Yes, but.’ No disarmament, keeping Gaza under Palestinian control, and tying hostage release to negotiations, along with other problems. This is, in essence, a rejection by Hamas of President Trump’s ‘take it or leave it’ proposal.”
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.
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 U.S. 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.”
Hamas has previously offered to release all hostages and to hand over administration of the Gaza Strip to a different body.
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.
TRUMP EARLIER WARNED OF ‘ALL HELL’
Earlier on Friday, Trump warned that “all HELL” would break out in Gaza if Hamas failed to agree to his proposal for the enclave by Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.
“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.
TRUMP PLAN ‘A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY,’ U.N. AID CHIEF SAYS
Israel blocked Gaza City’s main road on Thursday and has told its 1 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.
A United Nations spokesperson said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was encouraged by the Hamas response and urged all parties to seize the opportunity to bring the war to an end.
U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher said Trump’s plan offered a chance for Palestinians to receive life-saving aid, and added: “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 U.N. promising 170,000 metric tons ready to enter.
Israel began its offensive in Gaza after the October 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.
(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Yomna Ehab and Ahmed Tolba in Cairo; Bhargav Acharya and Doina Chiacu in Washington; Andrew Mills in Doha and Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Writing by Michelle Nichols, Rami Ayyub and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Howard Goller and Cynthia Osterman)
