Hamas stated in a press release Friday it has agreed to elements of the ceasefire deal that President Trump outlined earlier this week, together with a requirement to launch all hostages — however the group urged different parts of the deal ought to be topic to negotiation.
A U.S. official instructed CBS Information the US views Hamas’ response as constructive, although there are particulars that also should be hammered out, such because the decommissioning of weapons, which can start as quickly as subsequent week.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to the deal on Monday. Earlier Friday, Mr. Trump gave Hamas till Sunday night to simply accept the deal, or “all HELL, like nobody has ever seen earlier than, will get away in opposition to Hamas.”
After Hamas launched its assertion, Mr. Trump stated on Reality Social that he believes the group is “prepared for a long-lasting PEACE.” He pushed Israel to stop hostilities within the Gaza Strip. The Israeli authorities has not publicly responded to Hamas’ assertion.
“Israel should instantly cease the bombing of Gaza, in order that we are able to get the Hostages out safely and rapidly! Proper now, it is too harmful to do this. We’re already in discussions on particulars to be labored out,” the president wrote.
Hamas stated it’s prepared to launch all dwelling hostages and the stays of deceased hostages “in accordance with the change formulation set forth in President Trump’s proposal.” The proposal laid out by the White Home referred to as for Hamas to launch all hostages taken on Oct. 7, 2023, inside 72 hours, and for Israel to launch 250 Palestinians serving life sentences and 1,700 different Gazans who have been detained following the beginning of the battle.
The deal additionally referred to as for an instantaneous finish to preventing if each side settle for the deal, and for Israel’s navy to withdraw to an “agreed upon line.”
Hamas additionally stated it’s prepared to “hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian physique of independents (technocrats), based mostly on Palestinian nationwide consensus and with the assist of Arab and Islamic events” — one other portion of Mr. Trump’s proposal.
The group was much less clear on different parts of the deal. The assertion stated some points of Mr. Trump’s proposal “stay linked to a complete nationwide stance, grounded in related worldwide legal guidelines and resolutions.” It stated these points will should be mentioned “inside an inclusive Palestinian nationwide framework” that features Hamas.
It isn’t clear if Hamas has agreed that it’ll play no position within the governance of Gaza, which was one provision of Mr. Trump’s proposal.
The plan, unveiled Sept. 29 by Mr. Trump and backed by Netanyahu, referred to as for Hamas to free all remaining Israeli hostages and for the Israeli navy to start withdrawing from elements of the Gaza Strip in phases, beginning with an preliminary withdrawal earlier than the hostages are freed. It additionally proposed handing over elements of Gaza to a “technocratic” Palestinian committee and deploying a short lived safety drive backed by Arab states.
Netanyahu, who joined Mr. Trump for a joint information convention on the White Home when the 20-point proposal was introduced, had stated he helps the plan, and that if Hamas doesn’t settle for the provide, “Israel will end the job by itself.”
“We’re giving all people an opportunity to have this completed peacefully,” Netanyahu had stated, warning Hamas what would occur in the event that they did not comply with the proposal. “But when Hamas rejects your plan, Mr. President, or in the event that they supposedly settle for it after which principally do the whole lot to counter it, then Israel will end the job by itself. This may be completed the simple approach or it may be completed the onerous approach, however it will likely be completed.”
The president instructed Netanyahu Monday that if Hamas have been to reject the proposal, “you’d have our full backing to do what you would need to do.“
Mr. Trump had stated his aim is to make sure a “sustainable, long-term peace.” The president on Monday additionally stated he and Netanyahu have been “ready for signatures and ready for approvals from quite a lot of completely different nations which might be concerned on this.”
Israel and Hamas have been at warfare since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led terrorists attacked southern Israel, killing some 1,200 folks and taking 251 hostages. Since then, Israel has waged an intense aerial bombardment and floor marketing campaign within the Gaza Strip. Greater than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed, in accordance with the Hamas-run Gaza Well being Ministry, which doesn’t specify how lots of the useless have been civilians or militants.
Some 50 hostages are nonetheless in Gaza, fewer than half of whom are believed to be alive, in accordance with Israeli authorities.
Claire Day, Margaret Brennan and Melissa Gaffney contributed to this report.
