Trump Urges Israel to Halt Bombing of Gaza Amid Hamas Response

On Friday evening, President Donald Trump called on Israel to “stop the bombing of Gaza.” His request came after Hamas appeared to respond positively to a peace proposal, indicating they would release all hostages and relinquish control.

Trump stated, “Based on the statement that Hamas just issued, I believe they are ready for lasting peace. Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza. This will help you put out hostages safely and quickly! It’s too dangerous to do that now. We are already discussing the details to consider. This is not just about Gaza, but about peace that has long been sought in the Middle East.”

Earlier on Friday, Trump had given Hamas about 48 hours to accept his proposal. He made a joint announcement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday.

A few hours later, Hamas communicated their response to the U.S. through a mediator. Al Jazeera reported:

Palestinian groups stated they are prepared to release all Israeli prisoners, both alive and deceased, under the exchange plan presented in Trump’s proposal aimed at ending the conflict and withdrawing Israeli forces from Gaza.

In their statement shared on Telegram, Hamas confirmed, “In this context, the movement confirms that it is ready to negotiate immediately via mediators to discuss the details of this contract.” They also expressed willingness to transfer authority of the Gaza region to independent Palestinian technocrats, based on a national consensus and support from Arab and Islamic nations.

Notably, Hamas did not commit to disarming, which is a significant requirement from Israel.

As of now, Israel has not responded. It’s important to note that Friday evenings mark the Jewish Sabbath, during which many government activities are paused for rest. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu might provide a response on Saturday evening.