On Friday, President Trump stated that Hamas’ readiness to release all remaining hostages in Gaza suggests the group may be open to peace with Israel, despite their partial acceptance of his peace proposal.
“Hamas’ recent statement makes me believe they are prepared for lasting peace. Israel must halt its bombing in Gaza, allowing the safe and swift release of the hostages. The current situation is too dangerous for that. Discussions are underway to finalize details. This isn’t just about Gaza; it’s about achieving long-desired peace in the Middle East,” the president expressed on the Truth Social media platform.
Earlier this week, the White House introduced a 20-point peace plan aimed at ending the Gaza conflict, giving Hamas a Sunday deadline to accept terms, which include the release of all hostages, both living and deceased.
Hamas announced Friday its willingness to release “all captured individuals, alive and deceased, based on the exchange formula in President Trump’s proposal.” However, its leaders seek to discuss further specifics with intermediaries.
This seemed to satisfy Trump, and later Friday, Israeli Prime Minister signaled support in moving forward.
“Following Hamas’s feedback, Israel is gearing up for the initial execution of President Trump’s plan for the prompt release of all hostages,” Trump’s office declared on Friday. “We will persist in collaborating fully with the President and his team to conclude the conflict consistent with Israeli principles, which mirror President Trump’s vision.”
Friday’s events revived hope among peace advocates, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres, while others remained doubtful. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump supporter, viewed Hamas’ statement as a typical “Yes, but” retort that essentially declines the president’s ultimatum.
“No disarmament, keeping Gaza under Palestinian control, and tying hostage release to negotiations, along with other problems,” Graham said of the response.
Families of hostages react as Trump peace plan moves forward
Moshe Lavi, whose brother-in-law, Omri Miran, is among the 20 hostages believed to be alive in Gaza, said the potential peace deal is worth pursuing but won’t fix all problems between Israel and its enemies, at least not immediately.
“This is merely one phase within the larger conflict that will take decades if not centuries more to resolve. We saw how many centuries it took Europe to become a relatively stable place, only in the later stages of the 20th century,” Lavi told “CUOMO” on Friday. “This is not the end of the conflict, but hopefully we can lay foundations for a better future for both the Israelis and Palestinians.”
Another 28 hostages are believed to be dead, with their bodies held by Hamas. Itay Chen is presumed to be in the latter category. The dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, 19, was serving in the Israel Defense Forces on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas forces entered Israel and killed more than 1,200 people, mostly Israelis, which sparked the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Chen’s father, Ruby Chen, told “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” he’s feeling “cautious optimism” about the Trump peace plan and the return of hostages. He added: “We have been doing this for two years. So, we are feeling somewhat numb.”
Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 66,000 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to Gaza health authorities.
Reuters contributed to this report.
