Hamas on Friday said that it is ready to release all Israeli hostages, both those who are living and dead, in order to end Israel’s war on Gaza and a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the enclave. "Hamas affirms its readiness to immediately enter into negotiations through the mediators to discuss the details of this agreement," it said in a statement on Friday. What Hamas said Hamas has also agreed to hand over the administration of Gaza to an independent body of Palestinian technocrats, “based on Palestinian national consensus and Arab and Islamic support”. “Other issues mentioned in President Trump’s proposal regarding the future of the Gaza Strip and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people are connected to a unified national position and relevant international laws and resolutions,” Hamas said in a statement posted on Telegram. According to Hamas, the other issues “will be addressed through a comprehensive Palestinian national framework, in which Hamas will participate and contribute responsibly”. Hamas said it appreciated international efforts on the matter, including the one advanced by Trump, highlighting the US proposal’s provisions ending the war, releasing Palestinian prisoners, surging aid into Gaza, rejecting the occupation of the Strip, and rejecting the displacement of Palestinians from the enclave. The statement, however, did not mention Hamas disarmament, a key Israeli demand included in Trump’s proposal. Trump's Sunday ultimatum to Hamas The Hamas statement comes hours after US President Donald Trump said he will give the militant group time until Sunday to accept the peace proposal. President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House (Photo: AP) President Trump, in a social media post, had warned "all HELL" would break out in Gaza if Hamas fails to get on board. "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," Trump said, Hamas had been under considerable pressure to accept the plan, backed by major Arab and European powers. Trump's 20-point peace plan for Gaza Trump's 20-point 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. 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, which calls on the Islamist militant group to disarm, a demand it had rejected so far. More than 66,300 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, when Israel launched its retaliatory operation in the Palestinian enclave, in response to the Hamas terror attack in which 1,195 Israelis including 815 civilians lost their lives. Attempts, including mediation by Arab countries had so far failed to bring Hamas and Israel to agree on ending the war and freeing the remaining hostages.
