Hamas announced Friday that it has agreed to parts of President Trump’s peace initiative aimed at ending the war in Gaza, including relinquishing power and releasing hostages, while stressing that other provisions require further consultations with Palestinian factions.
The statement came just hours after President Trump warned that Hamas must fully accept the deal by Sunday evening or face an intensified Israeli military campaign. The conflict, now entering its third year after the October 7 attacks in Israel, has taken a heavy toll, and it remains unclear how Washington and Jerusalem will respond to Hamas’ partial acceptance.
Hamas said it is prepared to release hostages under the plan’s outlined formula, widely understood to involve a parallel release of Palestinian prisoners. The group also reiterated its willingness to transfer governing authority to a politically independent Palestinian body. However, it maintained that issues concerning Gaza’s long-term future and Palestinian rights must be decided collectively with other Palestinian factions and grounded in international law. Notably, the statement made no mention of disarmament—a central Israeli demand included in Trump’s proposal.
President Trump has emphasized his determination to secure an end to the war and bring home the remaining hostages as the second anniversary of the October 7 attack approaches on Tuesday. His peace framework, which Israel has formally accepted and which has drawn cautious approval from international partners, was unveiled earlier this week alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Under the plan, Hamas would release the remaining 48 hostages—around 20 of whom are believed to still be alive—surrender governing control in Gaza, and disarm. In exchange, Israel would cease its offensive, withdraw from much of Gaza, free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and allow large-scale humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts. Proposals to relocate much of Gaza’s population abroad would be abandoned under the deal.
Mediators including Egypt and Qatar have welcomed the plan in principle but noted that certain points will require further negotiation.