Hamas says it accepts parts of Trump's peace plan

World Saturday 04/October/2025 16:59 PM
By: DW
Hamas says it accepts parts of Trump's peace plan

Gaza: Hamas said that it accepted some elements of the Gaza peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump and that it was prepared to release all Israeli hostages, dead or alive.

The group also said it was prepared to enter into immediate negotiations to clarify the precise details.

After unveiling his 20-point peace plan alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week, President Trump took to social media earlier on Friday to demand that "an agreement must be reached with Hamas by Sunday evening" and threatened to eliminate Hamas if the group did not agree to the proposal.

Hamas is still believed to be holding 48 Israelis hostage in the Gaza Strip, around 20 of whom are believed to still be alive.

In addition to expressing a readiness to release all remaining Israeli hostages, Hamas also said on Friday evening that it was prepared to "hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of independents (technocrats), based on national consensus and with Arab and Islamic support."

In a statement shared on Telegram, the group insisted that it be part of negotiations concerning the future of Gaza and the rights of the Palestinian people.

"These remain tied to a collective national position, rooted in international laws and resolutions, to be addressed within a unified Palestinian framework," the group wrote. "In which Hamas will take part and contribute with full responsibility."

While one senior Hamas official told Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera that the group would enter into negotiations on all issues related to the group and its weapons, another told the Reuters news agency that the group would not disarm before the Israeli "occupation" ends.

Reuters also reported that Qatari mediators had officially received Hamas' response to US President Donald Trump's proposal, but it was initially unclear how the United States and Israel would respond to the partial acceptance.

Qatar, Egypt welcome Hamas response to Trump proposal
A spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry said early on Saturday morning that Doha "welcomes" Hamas' response to the latest Gaza peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump.

A statement from Egypt's Foreign Ministry said Cairo also hopes for "positive development" and said it would "exert all effort with Arab states, the United States and European countries to reach a permanent ceasefire" in the war-torn enclave.

Both Qatar and Egypt are key mediators in negotiations between the US, Israel and Hamas.

Merz, Macron say 'release of the hostages within reach'
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that "peace in Gaza and the release of the hostages are within reach" after Hamas "agreed in principle" to US President Donald Trump's peace plan.

Merz added in posts on the X platform that the plan represented "the best chance for peace" in the conflict and that Germany "fully supports" Trump's "call upon both sides."

French President Emmanuel Macron said that "the release of all hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza are within reach!"

"Hamas' commitment must be followed up without delay. We now have the opportunity to make decisive progress towards peace. France will play its full part in line with its efforts at the United Nations, alongside the United States, Israelis and Palestinians, and all of its international partners. I would like to thank President Donald Trump  and his team for their commitment to peace," Macron posted on social media.

Macron repeated the post in both Hebrew and Arabic having already posted in French and English.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Hamas' acceptance of the peace deal was "a significant step forwards" in the effort to end the war in Gaza.

Trump's proposal has "brought us closer to peace than ever before," Starmer said in a statement, adding: "We call on all sides to implement the agreement without delay."