Madras Times - Hamas says ready to free hostages, Trump urges Israel to halt bombing

Trump hailed the statement from Hamas as a sign it was committed to "lasting peace" but the group made no mention of its own disarmament -- a key element of Trump's proposal -- and maintained it should have a say in the Palestinian territory's future.

Hours earlier, Trump had given the group until 2200 GMT on Sunday -- 1:00 am Monday in Gaza -- to accept his 20-point plan or else face "all hell".

"The movement announces its approval for the release of all hostages -- living and remains -- according to the exchange formula included in President Trump's proposal," Hamas said in a statement, adding it was ready to enter talks "to discuss the details".

In the statement, it also agreed to hand over power in Gaza to a body of Palestinian technocrats -- another element of the Trump proposal -- but said it would "participate and contribute responsibly" in Palestinian discussions regarding the territory's future.

Following the announcement, senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi told AFP the group welcomed Trump's proposal, but called it "vague", saying "we need clarification and confirmation through a negotiated agreement".

In a post on his Truth Social platform shortly after Hamas's announcement, Trump said he believed the group was "ready for a lasting PEACE".

"Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly!" he added.

Trump's proposal, backed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calls for a ceasefire, the release of hostages within 72 hours, Hamas's disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

The plan demands the disarmament of Hamas, and insists that it and other factions "not have any role in the governance of Gaza".

Administration of the territory would be taken up by a technocratic body overseen by a post-war transitional authority headed by Trump himself.

- 'Places of death' -

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

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

AFP has contacted the Israeli military for comment.

Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing swathes of the territory mean AFP cannot independently verify details or casualty figures provided by the Israeli military or the civil defence.

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

The UN on Friday reiterated there was no safe place in Gaza and that Israel-designated zones in the south were "places of death".

"The notion of a safe zone in the south is farcical," UNICEF spokesman James Elder said from the Gaza Strip.

Amnesty International condemned a "catastrophic wave of mass displacement" as Israel intensified its Gaza City offensive.

The rights group said hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, many of whom had already been displaced multiple times, were being forced into "overcrowded enclaves in the south... that lack access to clean water, food, medical care, shelter and life-sustaining infrastructure".

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

On Friday, the organisers 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.

- 'Two opinions' in Hamas -

As Hamas mulled Trump's peace plan this week, a Palestinian source close to the group's leadership told AFP on Wednesday that the Islamist movement wanted to amend some clauses, including the one on disarmament.

Hamas leaders also want "international guarantees" for a full Israeli withdrawal and that no assassination attempts would be made inside or outside Gaza, the source added.

Another source familiar with the negotiations told AFP that the group was split over Trump's plan.

Structurally, the group's leadership is divided between officials based in the Gaza Strip and those abroad, particularly in Qatar.

Much of Hamas's leadership has also been wiped out in Israeli attacks throughout the war.

The source told AFP that "the first (opinion) supports unconditional approval, as the priority is a ceasefire under Trump's guarantees, with mediators ensuring Israel implements the plan".

"The second has serious reservations regarding key clauses... They favour conditional approval with clarifications reflecting Hamas's and the resistance factions' demands," the source added.

Hugh Lovatt, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said "ultimately it's not just about convincing Hamas leadership in Doha, but also the leadership in Gaza, as well as Hamas members and fighters in Gaza".

"Additionally, Hamas must then be able to convince other factions in Gaza," he added.

The war was triggered by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 66,288 Palestinians, according to health ministry figures in the Hamas-run territory that 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.

H.Anand--MT