A late announcement had Hamas willing to release all remaining hostages but gave no details on which points in Trump’s proposal still required negotiation.
Late on Friday night, Hamas, while having chosen some provisions of US President Donald Trump’s “21-point peace plan”-taking the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza as one of these provisions-warned that other parts of the proposal may require “further consultation.”
The Gaza-held hostages number around 50, with some 20-of-them still understood to be alive.
The statement came just hours after Trump warned that Hamas must ratify the deal by Sunday evening or otherwise face an even greater military assault, as the war approaches the second-year mark.
“An Agreement must be reached with Hamas by Sunday Evening at SIX (6) P.M., Washington, D.C. time,” Trump wrote earlier on Friday on his social platform, Truth Social.
“Every country has signed on. If this LAST CHANCE agreement does not come through, the like of which the world has never seen will be unleashed upon Hamas. THERE WILL BE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST ONE WAY OR THE OTHER,” Trump added.
It was unclear how the United States and Israel would react to an acceptance in part of the plan. It had been accepted fully by Israel-side and much of the international community welcomed it.
The plan for ending the war in Gaza proposes the release of hostages, disarmament, and dissolution of Hamas, and the setting up of a temporary oversight government run by Trump and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Last week, Trump said as he announced the plan from the Oval Office with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Hamas members who want to remain in Gaza will be offered amnesty while those that refuse will be provided safe passage to other countries.
Our reporters continue to follow the story and will report more as information becomes available.
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