Hamas said Friday that it has accepted some elements of President Trump's plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip, including giving up power and releasing all remaining hostages, but that others require further consultations among Palestinians. The statement came hours after Trump said that Hamas must agree to the deal by Sunday evening, threatening an even greater military onslaught two years into the war sparked by the Oct. 7 attack in Israel. It was unclear how the US and Israel would respond to partial acceptance, the AP reports.
Hamas said it was willing to release hostages according to the plan's "formula," likely referring to the release of Palestinian prisoners. It also reiterated its longstanding openness to handing power over to a politically independent Palestinian body. But it said aspects of the proposal touching on the future of the Gaza Strip and Palestinian rights should be decided on the basis of a "unanimous Palestinian stance" reached with other factions and based on international law. The statement also made no mention of Hamas disarming, a key Israeli demand included in Trump's proposal.
Trump appears keen to deliver on pledges to end the war and return dozens of hostages ahead of the second anniversary of the attack on Tuesday. His peace plan has been accepted by Israel and welcomed internationally, but key mediators Egypt and Qatar have also said some elements need further negotiation, without elaborating. Under the plan, which Trump unveiled earlier this week alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hamas would immediately release the remaining 48 hostages—around 20 of them believed to be alive. It would also give up power and disarm. In return, Israel would halt its offensive and withdraw from much of the territory, release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and allow an influx of humanitarian aid and eventual reconstruction. Plans to relocate much of Gaza's population to other countries would be shelved.
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