In a significant turn of events toward ending the prolonged Gaza conflict, Hamas announced on Friday that it has accepted certain aspects of U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan. According to the Associated Press, Hamas has agreed to relinquish control of Gaza and release all remaining hostages. However, the group clarified that some parts of the plan require additional consultations among Palestinian factions before a final consensus is reached. This development follows Israel’s acceptance of Trump’s plan earlier in the week, which was jointly unveiled with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Saturday that they will halt offensive operations in Gaza City and shift their focus to defensive measures across the Gaza Strip. This decision came shortly after President Trump publicly urged Israel to stop bombing Gaza immediately to facilitate the release of hostages. His statement marked a rare instance where a former U.S. president directly pressured Israel to suspend military actions.
Hamas’s conditional acceptance has been viewed as a cautious but strategic move. The group is signaling openness to negotiation while maintaining leverage on unresolved points such as disarmament and governance. Sources within Hamas reveal that while the political wing is inclined toward compromise, the military wing remains reluctant to surrender control without concrete guarantees.
Trump’s ultimatum, issued via a televised address and social media, demanded that Hamas accept all terms of the peace deal by Sunday, 6 p.m. Washington D.C. time. Failure to comply, he warned, would bring severe consequences. He emphasized that “all hell will break out” if Hamas fails to act, suggesting possible coordinated military responses from U.S. allies in the region. Trump’s plan, comprising twenty points, calls for a total ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from central Gaza, the creation of a demilitarized zone, and an internationally supervised reconstruction effort.
Israel has officially endorsed the plan and stated that it is ready to move forward with the first stage. According to Israeli officials, the initial phase involves halting operations in Gaza City and focusing on defensive security measures. However, Israel has maintained some restrictions in northern Gaza, labeling it a “combat zone” and warning civilians against returning prematurely. Despite this, Israeli authorities indicated that a full release of hostages could take place within days if the agreement remains intact.
The hostage exchange remains a pivotal component of the deal. Hamas claims that forty-eight hostages remain in Gaza, including around twenty believed to be alive. Under the peace framework, Hamas would release all hostages, both living and deceased, within seventy-two hours of Israel’s implementation of the plan. In exchange, Israel would release approximately two thousand Palestinian prisoners, including two hundred fifty serving life sentences. This provision, analysts say, could serve as a powerful confidence-building measure if executed properly.
The international community has responded positively, though cautiously, to these developments. Qatar, which has acted as a mediator in multiple Gaza negotiations, welcomed Hamas’s partial acceptance and urged swift implementation. Egypt also expressed optimism, offering to work with Arab nations, the United States, and the European Union to secure a permanent ceasefire. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, described the agreement as “a vital opportunity to end a devastating war,” emphasizing the need to prioritize humanitarian aid and civilian safety. India, through Prime Minister Narendra Modi, praised the U.S. peace effort, calling it “a significant step toward restoring stability in the region.”
Despite growing support, several key challenges remain. The first is the issue of disarmament. Israel insists that Hamas must completely disarm and dismantle its military infrastructure, a demand Hamas has not yet accepted. The second challenge concerns the governance of Gaza. Trump’s plan calls for the creation of a neutral technocratic administration to oversee reconstruction and civil governance, effectively removing Hamas from power. While Hamas says it is open to stepping aside for “Palestinian unity governance,” internal divisions make such a transition complicated.
Trust remains another major obstacle. Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating ceasefire agreements in the past, and without a robust verification mechanism, implementation could stall. The United States has proposed that an international monitoring team, potentially including representatives from NATO and the Arab League, supervise compliance and security arrangements. Discussions on this mechanism are ongoing.
Within Palestine, Hamas faces pressure from other factions, particularly the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs the West Bank. The PA has urged Hamas to accept the plan in full but has also insisted that any long-term governance arrangement must include the PA’s involvement to ensure legitimacy. Political analysts note that achieving intra-Palestinian unity is essential for any durable peace framework to succeed.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, with nearly seventy percent of the population displaced and basic infrastructure crippled by months of fighting. Aid agencies have urged both sides to allow immediate access for medical and food supplies. Under Trump’s plan, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), along with several NGOs, would coordinate reconstruction and relief efforts once hostilities cease.
Over the next seventy-two hours, all eyes will be on whether Hamas fully endorses the peace deal before Trump’s deadline. If it does, the focus will shift to practical implementation — beginning with the exchange of prisoners and hostages, followed by demilitarization steps and humanitarian corridors. If it does not, the fragile truce could collapse, and military operations may resume with greater intensity.
Regional analysts view the coming days as pivotal. A senior diplomat from Egypt noted that “this may be the last viable window for a negotiated end before both sides harden their positions irreversibly.” Similarly, European Union representatives have offered diplomatic and financial support for post-war reconstruction, contingent on adherence to ceasefire terms and human rights obligations.
In Washington, political observers suggest that Trump is seeking to leverage the peace initiative as a demonstration of leadership ahead of upcoming elections, though officials insist the plan’s motive is humanitarian rather than political. Nonetheless, the urgency and rhetoric surrounding the ultimatum highlight the high stakes involved.
As the world watches, the next few days could define the trajectory of the Gaza crisis. If Hamas and Israel both hold their fire and move forward with the agreed framework, it could mark the first genuine step toward long-term peace in nearly two decades. However, if mistrust or political divisions derail progress, the region risks slipping back into the cycle of violence that has defined it for generations.
