MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Trump asks Israel to stop shelling Gaza as negotiations yield some light

Despite initial hopes, some view Hamas' response as ambiguous

After the pro-Palestine terrorist organization Hamas was reported to be willing to accept a peace proposal put forth by US President Donald Trump -including the release of all hostages- the Republican leader asked Israel on Friday to cease shelling the Gaza Strip.

Hamas announced it would release all Israeli hostages (living and dead), “according to the exchange formula contained in President Trump’s proposal, which also calls for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Government to release 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 1,700 Gazans detained during the war.

However, Hamas made its acceptance conditional, stating it wanted to negotiate elements of the plan and required certain ”field conditions“ to be met for the exchange.

Trump stated he believed Hamas was ”ready for a lasting PEACE“ and demanded that Israel ”immediately stop the bombing of Gaza“ to ensure the safe and quick release of the hostages. He later posted a video, calling the development a ”very special day“ and expressing hope that peace was close.

An early statement from Netanyahu’s office said Israel was preparing to implement the first stage of Trump’s plan for the immediate release of all hostages and would continue to work with his team to bring the war to an end.

This plan puts political pressure on Netanyahu, as some of his coalition members oppose certain terms, and he may need support from opposition leaders to move forward.

According to many analysts, Hamas’s statement was ambiguous. It agreed to hand over the administration of Gaza to an independent Palestinian body but did not explicitly address the stipulation that it be barred from exercising future political power or the demand that it give up its arms. The group also stressed it wants to be part of the future discussion on the Palestinian people.

In this scenario, key mediators like Qatar and Egypt welcomed Hamas's response, while leaders from the United Kingdom and France called it a significant step towards peace that should be implemented without delay.

A group representing the hostages' families also called on Netanyahu to begin ”efficient and swift negotiations,” supporting Trump’s requests.