The Israeli government reacted late Friday to an interim agreement from Hamas regarding President Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, stating that it is “preparing for immediate implementation of the first phase,” which includes the release of hostages.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office communicated with Israeli media, affirming a commitment to partner with Trump. However, there was no mention of the U.S. president’s request for a cessation of military operations in Gaza, which he had stated earlier that day.
According to the official statement, “In light of Hamas’ reaction to the Trump peace plan, Israel is preparing for the immediate implementation of the first phase, which is the release of all hostages.”
On Friday, reports indicated that Netanyahu was taken aback by Trump’s positive reception of Hamas’ provisional agreement concerning hostages.
While Israeli leaders acknowledged Trump’s remarks about Hamas’ peace intentions, they shared that they interpreted the Palestinian group’s statement as a dismissal of the president’s proposal, according to Axios.
Hamas expressed willingness to release the Israeli hostages as Trump had requested. However, they did not agree to relinquish control of Gaza to international forces.
Additionally, Hamas put forth a 20-point plan tied to the release of hostages, aiming to fulfill this within a 72-hour period.
