Hamas Agrees to Release All Israeli Hostages Under Trump Plan

Hamas has agreed to release all Israeli hostages under President Trump's peace plan and enter immediate negotiations, according to an official statement.

Hamas fighters stand in formation. (AP)
Hamas fighters stand in formation. (AP)

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In a potentially pivotal development, the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, announced on Friday that it has agreed to the release of all Israeli hostages, or what the movement calls as "captives", both living and deceased, under the framework of U.S. President Donald Trump's comprehensive peace proposal, a move that signals a significant shift in the nearly two-year-long conflict and opens the door for immediate, detailed negotiations to end the devastating war in Gaza.

The announcement, published as an "Important Statement" on the movement's official Telegram account, came just two days ahead of a stark deadline issued by President Trump, who had warned that "all hell" would break out if Hamas did not accept the deal..

The same Hamas statement was published by Trump on his Truth-Social platform in English.

The statement from Hamas, released after what it described as "in-depth consultations" within its leadership and with other Palestinian factions and international mediators, expressed appreciation for the efforts of President Trump and Arab and Islamic partners.

The movement declared its primary interest was in "stopping the aggression and the war of annihilation" against the Palestinian people and, within that framework, announced its readiness to move forward on the central issue of the hostages.

"The movement announces its agreement to the release of all the occupation's captives, living and bodies, according to the exchange formula mentioned in President Trump's proposal and with the provision of the field conditions for the exchange process," the statement read.

Crucially, Hamas affirmed its readiness to "immediately enter, through the mediators, into negotiations to discuss the details of that."

This breakthrough comes after weeks of intense diplomatic pressure, culminating in President Trump's 20-point peace initiative, which was unveiled at the White House earlier in the week.

As previously reported by Kurdistan24, the plan outlines a sweeping vision for ending the war, beginning with an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages within 72 hours, followed by a phased Israeli withdrawal, the disarmament of Hamas, and the establishment of a transitional post-war authority for Gaza.

Trump had given Hamas until 2200 GMT on Sunday to accept the proposal, a deadline that now appears to have been met, at least in principle, on the core issue of the hostages.

In its statement, Hamas also signaled a significant concession on the contentious issue of post-war governance, a key element of the White House plan.

"The movement also renews its agreement to hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of independents (technocrats) based on Palestinian national consensus and based on Arab and Islamic support," the statement declared.

This aligns, at least in part, with the Trump proposal, which calls for Gaza to be governed by a "technocratic, apolical Palestinian committee" under the oversight of an international "Board of Peace," to be chaired by President Trump himself and include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

However, the Hamas statement was careful to defer discussion on the more complex, long-term political issues outlined in the U.S. plan.

"As for the other issues mentioned in President Trump's proposal related to the future of the Gaza Strip and the inherent rights of the Palestinian people," the statement continued, "this is linked to a comprehensive national position and is based on the relevant international laws and resolutions, and will be discussed through a comprehensive Palestinian national framework of which Hamas will be a part and in which it will contribute with all responsibility."

This indicates that while Hamas is ready to negotiate an end to the current hostilities and resolve the captive-prisoner exchange, it views the final status of Gaza and broader questions of Palestinian self-determination as matters to be decided through a unified Palestinian consensus.

The decision from Hamas follows a period of intense internal debate and mounting pressure from all sides.

As reported by Kurdistan24, sources familiar with the negotiations had indicated that the Hamas leadership was divided, with one faction supporting an unconditional approval to secure a ceasefire and the other holding "serious reservations" about key clauses, particularly those concerning disarmament and future governance.

The group had reportedly sought "international guarantees" for a complete Israeli withdrawal and assurances against future assassination attempts.

Simultaneously, a powerful and desperate plea for peace was rising from within the war-ravaged Gaza Strip itself. A New York Times report, cited by Kurdistan24, detailed the immense suffering of the civilian population, with many Gazans expressing their profound exhaustion and urging Hamas to accept the deal.

"Hamas must say yes to this offer — we have been through hell already," Mahmoud Bolbol, a 43-year-old construction worker, told the newspaper, a sentiment echoed by many who feel they can endure no more.

This widespread public desperation, born from nearly two years of unimaginable loss and displacement, likely played a significant role in the leadership's final calculation.

The U.S. proposal, while stringent, was also met with a surprising endorsement from the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, which welcomed what it described as "sincere and tireless efforts" by President Trump to end the war.

This created a rare moment of alignment between the official Palestinian leadership and a U.S.-led initiative, further isolating Hamas if it had chosen to reject the deal outright. The plan also received broad international backing, with a joint statement of support from eight key Arab and Muslim nations—Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Türkiye, Indonesia, and Pakistan—as well as Washington's main European allies.

The conflict this plan seeks to end began with Hamas’s devastating attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which, according to Israeli figures, killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians.

The retaliatory Israeli military offensive has since killed at least 66,288 Palestinians, according to health ministry figures in the Hamas-run territory that the United Nations continues to cite as reliable, with women and children making up more than half of the casualties.

With Hamas now having signaled its agreement on the most immediate and critical components of the Trump proposal, the stage is set for a new and potentially final phase of negotiations.

The focus will now shift to the mediators in Qatar and Egypt, who will work to translate this breakthrough in principle into a detailed, operational plan that addresses the logistics of the captive release, the mechanics of a full Israeli withdrawal, and the establishment of a transitional governing body.

While the path ahead is fraught with challenges and the long-term political questions remain unresolved, the statement from Hamas on Friday represents the most significant glimmer of hope in nearly two years that an end to the "war of annihilation" in Gaza may finally be within reach.

 
 
 
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