Hamas announced Friday it is open to some parts of former President Donald Trump’s new peace plan for Gaza — including giving up power and releasing hostages — but said other elements require further talks with Palestinian factions.
According to The Associated Press, the announcement came just hours after Trump warned Hamas it must accept the deal by Sunday evening or face a massive escalation of Israel’s military campaign, nearly two years into the war sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.
Hamas said it is willing to free hostages under the plan’s “formula,” likely tied to a prisoner swap. The group also repeated its long-standing willingness to hand authority to a politically independent Palestinian body. But it stressed that decisions on Gaza’s future and Palestinian rights must reflect a “unanimous Palestinian stance” and international law.
The group made no mention of disarmament — a key Israeli demand and a central part of Trump’s proposal.
Trump, eager to deliver on his pledge to end the conflict ahead of the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 massacre, outlined the plan earlier this week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel has already accepted it, and world leaders welcomed it, though key mediators Egypt and Qatar said more negotiations are needed.
“An Agreement must be reached with Hamas by Sunday Evening at SIX (6) P.M., Washington, D.C. time,” Trump wrote on social media. “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. THERE WILL BE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.”
The deal would require Hamas to release the remaining 48 hostages — about 20 of them believed alive — surrender power, and disarm. In return, Israel would halt its offensive, withdraw from much of Gaza, release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and allow humanitarian aid and reconstruction. A controversial relocation plan for Gaza’s population would be abandoned.
Under the proposal, Gaza’s 2 million residents would live under international administration overseen by Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The plan does not provide a path toward reunification with the West Bank or statehood.
A Hamas official told the Associated Press that “some elements of the plan are unacceptable and need to be amended,” without elaborating. Many Palestinians view U.S. initiatives as tilted toward Israel despite a desire for an end to the war.
Israel has intensified its campaign since an earlier ceasefire collapsed in March. It blocked food and medicine for more than two months, then launched a major offensive into Gaza City, where experts said famine had already taken hold. Around 400,000 residents fled, while hundreds of thousands remained trapped.
Olga Cherevko, a spokesperson for the U.N. humanitarian office, described dire conditions. “They are not able to move south because they just cannot afford it,” she told AP after visiting families sheltering in a hospital parking lot.
Trump continued his pressure campaign Friday, writing: “Most of Hamas’ fighters are surrounded and MILITARILY TRAPPED, just waiting for me to give the word, ‘GO,’ for their lives to be quickly extinguished. As for the rest, we know where and who you are, and you will be hunted down, and killed.”
Despite losing thousands of fighters and senior leaders, Hamas still wields influence in areas beyond Israeli control and has carried out deadly attacks against Israeli troops. The group insists it will only free hostages in exchange for a permanent ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal — conditions Netanyahu has rejected.
The war began when thousands of Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 others. Most hostages have since been released through deals and ceasefires.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which says women and children account for about half the deaths. The offensive has displaced 90% of Gaza’s population and left much of the territory in ruins.
Both the Biden and Trump administrations have provided military and diplomatic support to Israel while pursuing efforts to end the war and secure the hostages’ release.
