Hamas agrees to release hostages as Israel seeks implementation of first stage of Trump plan

Hamas announced on Friday that it has submitted its response to U.S. President Donald Trump's Gaza peace proposal to regional and international mediators, saying it has agreed in principle to release all Israeli hostages, both living and deceased.

In a press statement, the Palestinian armed group also said it would transfer the administration of Gaza to a Palestinian body of independent technocrats, formed through national consensus and supported by Arab and Islamic countries.

According to the statement, other issues raised in the U.S. proposal concerning Gaza's future and the broader rights of the Palestinian people would be addressed within a collective Palestinian framework, in line with relevant international laws and resolutions.

Hamas stated that the release of all Israeli hostages would be based on the exchange framework outlined in Trump's proposal and expressed its readiness to begin immediate negotiations through mediators to discuss the implementation details.

The group said it values Arab, Islamic, international and U.S. efforts aimed at ending the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, allowing the entry of humanitarian aid, preventing the displacement of Palestinians and rejecting the reoccupation of the enclave.

Israel seeks implementation of Trump plan's first stage

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said early Saturday that Israel was seeking the "immediate implementation" of Trump's plan to free Israeli hostages in Gaza, after Hamas said it was ready for peace talks.

"In light of Hamas's response, Israel is preparing for the immediate implementation of the first stage of the Trump plan for the release of all the hostages," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.

"We will continue to work in full cooperation with the President and his team to end the war in accordance with the principles set out by Israel, which align with President Trump's vision."

Trump urges Israel to halt Gaza bombing

Following the Hamas statement, Trump urged Israel to immediately stop bombing Gaza.

"Based on the Statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE," Trump said Friday on Truth Social, adding that Israel must immediately stop its bombing of Gaza. "We are already in discussions on details to be worked out. This is not about Gaza alone, this is about long-sought PEACE in the Middle East."

Earlier on Friday, Trump said Hamas must accept the 20-point peace plan on Gaza by 6 p.m. on Sunday, otherwise "all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas."

Trump said on Truth Social that Hamas would be given "one last chance," adding that "nations of the Middle East, and the surrounding areas beyond, together with the United States of America, have agreed, with Israel signing on, to PEACE, after 3000 years, in the Middle East."

He also urged Palestinians to immediately leave areas of great danger and move to safer parts of Gaza. "Everyone will be well cared for by those that are waiting to help."

On Monday, the Trump administration unveiled the 20-point proposal after Trump held talks with visiting Netanyahu at the White House.

The plan outlines a ceasefire-for-hostages deal, a phased Israeli withdrawal, a demilitarized Gaza, and international oversight of Gaza's reconstruction and governance after the end of the conflict. Hamas will be excluded from the governance structure.

Under the ceasefire terms, Israel would halt military actions and pull back to the agreed lines. Hamas, within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting the agreement, must release all hostages, alive and deceased. In return, Israel would free 250 prisoners serving life sentences plus 1,700 Gazans who were detained after October 7, 2023. Disarmed Hamas members who commit to peaceful coexistence would be granted amnesty, and those who wish to leave Gaza would be provided safe passage to receiving countries.

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Full text of Trump's 20-point proposal on Gaza 

At a press conference following the meeting, Netanyahu endorsed the plan, saying it met Israel's major objectives – the return of hostages, the dismantling of Hamas's military capabilities, the end of the group's political presence and the guarantee of Gaza's demilitarization.

He warned that Israel would "finish the job itself" if Hamas rejected the plan. Trump, in turn, pledged "full support" for Israel under such circumstances.

Abbas: Elections to be held within one year after end of war

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in a statement on Friday that the Palestinian people are at a pivotal stage that demands unity.

Abbas expressed his commitment to holding general presidential and parliamentary elections within one year after the end of the war, and to finalizing a temporary national constitution within three months to serve as the basis for the transition of power from authority to state.

He also announced that any party, political force, or individual not committed to the two-state solution would be banned from participating in the elections.

UN chief urges all parties to seize opportunity

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the statement issued by Hamas announcing its readiness to release hostages and to engage on the basis of the proposal by Trump, the UN chief's spokesperson said Friday.

The secretary-general "welcomes and is encouraged" by the statement issued by Hamas, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.

The UN chief urged all parties to seize the opportunity to bring the conflict in the Gaza Strip to an end, and thanked Qatar and Egypt for their invaluable mediation work, the spokesperson said.

Dujarric said the secretary-general reiterated his call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and unfettered humanitarian access.

"The United Nations will support all efforts towards these objectives to prevent even more suffering."

Heavy bombardment

On the ground on Friday, Gaza's civil defense agency, a rescue force operating under Hamas authority, reported heavy air bombardment and artillery shelling on Gaza City.

The agency said Israeli strikes killed at least 11 people across the territory, including eight in Gaza City.

The Israeli military is conducting an air and ground offensive on the territory's largest urban center, from which hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee.

As the war nears its two-year mark and the death toll continues to rise, protesters around the world have railed against Israel's interception of a flotilla carrying pro-Palestinian activists and aid for Gaza.

On Friday, the organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla said its last remaining boat had been intercepted, and Israel's Foreign Ministry said it had deported four Italian participants.

The war was triggered by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, in which Hamas killed around 1,200 people and took around 250 hostages. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 66,288 Palestinians, according to health ministry figures in the Hamas-run territory, which the United Nations considers reliable.

Their data does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but indicates that more than half of the dead are women and children.

(With input from agencies)