On Friday, Hamas announced that it had backed specific aspects of the former president's demand to conclude the war in Gaza, consenting to a hostage exchange and to relinquish administrative power in the coastal enclave, but stated that it desired further negotiations on remaining components of the proposal.
Hamas remained silent on whether it would agree to disarm – a critical component of Trump's proposal – and remained vague its answer to additional parts of the comprehensive plan initially suggested by Trump last Monday.
It was unclear how the former president would react to a conditional response to his plan, which arrived just a short time after he set a Sunday deadline for the organization to answer. He claimed that if an agreement was not achieved "all hell" would break out against the faction, whose militants he described as surrounded and cornered.
Major Concessions and Stipulations
In a announcement, the group expressed that it was giving its "approval of releasing all occupation prisoners – both living and remains – according to the swap terms contained in president Trump's plan, with the required practical arrangements for implementing the exchange."
The statement continued to say that the organization was ready to turn over "governance of the Gaza Strip to a local body of independent experts founded on local consensus and backed by Arab and Islamic backing."
Issues Needing Additional Discussion
However, the group noted that "other issues" in the proposal would require to be negotiated further "within a unified Palestinian national framework." The unstated issues that the group will seek negotiations on are expected to include the issue of its arms, the pullout of Jewish state forces from Gaza, and global guarantees for the implementation of a permanent truce.
The former president's plan demanded an swift end to fighting in the area, an swap of captives and Palestinian detainees within 72 hours of the deal's approval, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli military from Gaza, as well as the disarmament of Hamas and a post-conflict interim authority headed by Donald Trump.
Humanitarian and Reconstruction Terms
The deal also stipulated a surge of assistance to Gaza, parts of which are presently undergoing starvation, and rebuilding to the largely destroyed enclave.
The deal was mostly seen as disadvantageous to Hamas and if agreed in entirety, would likely spell the group's end as an militant Palestinian faction while requiring few compromises from Israel. International pressure on the faction to accept the plan, was immense however, with most regional and international powers welcoming the Trump administration imitative.
Impact of the Hostage Release
Although the organization did not immediately consent to disarm, its agreement to release hostages will be regarded as significant. The 48 individuals have been used by the group as key leverage during the nearly two year conflict in its negotiations with the United States and Israeli officials. Giving them up will leave the group with few bargaining chips going forward.
Not the U.S. administration nor Israeli officials have yet replied to Hamas's appeal for amendments to the Trump demand.
Conflict Toll and Context
The Israeli war in Gaza has claimed at least over sixty-two thousand locals and wounded about 170,000, according to the Gaza health authority. The hostilities was launched by Israel in response to Hamas-affiliated militants killing about 1,200 individuals and capturing 251 captives in the Jewish state almost 24 months ago.
