Hamas ready for peace, tells Israel to stop bombing Gaza” />
On Friday, US President Donald Trump expressed his belief that Hamas is prepared to pursue a “lasting peace” and urged Israel to cease its airstrikes on Gaza. This statement followed Hamas’s announcement indicating their willingness to release hostages under the terms of Trump’s proposed ceasefire.
This marks the first occasion since Trump’s return to office in January that he has openly called on Israel, a key American ally, to halt its military operations in Gaza-a move that has yet to receive an official response from the Israeli government.
Trump wrote on Truth Social, “Based on the statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE. Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the hostages out safely and quickly!”
He added, “At this moment, the situation is too perilous to proceed. We are already engaged in discussions to finalize the details. This effort transcends Gaza alone; it aims for a long-awaited PEACE across the Middle East.”
In an unusual step for a sitting US president, Trump shared Hamas’s statement on his social media platform, a move echoed by the White House.
Following this, Trump released a brief video message praising Hamas’s announcement and expressing gratitude to US partners such as Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Jordan for their roles in facilitating dialogue.
“Today is a remarkable day, perhaps without precedent,” Trump said from the Oval Office’s Resolute Desk, emphasizing, “I eagerly anticipate the safe return of the hostages to their families.”
– ‘Fair Treatment’ Emphasized –
Securing the release of hostages taken by Hamas during its October 7, 2023 assault on Israel has been a central focus for Trump. He has also vigorously advocated for a resolution to the conflict, which he attributes to the policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden.
In his video, Trump assured that “everyone will be treated fairly” throughout the negotiation process.
While he refrained from providing further specifics, his remarks came amid a lack of response from Israel regarding Hamas’s recent statement.
According to Axios, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reportedly “taken aback” by Trump’s reaction and viewed Hamas’s declaration as falling short of the critical conditions outlined in Trump’s peace proposal.
Netanyahu, who stood alongside Trump during the unveiling of the 20-point peace plan at the White House earlier this week, reiterated that Hamas must fully comply with all components of the agreement.
Trump had previously set a deadline of late Sunday for Hamas to accept the peace plan, warning of severe consequences otherwise.
Hamas described Trump’s call for Israel to halt its bombing campaign as “encouraging.”
However, senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi told AFP on Friday that Trump’s plan was “unclear, ambiguous, and lacks specificity.”