Hamas has formally submitted its response to US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, signaling a major shift in its stance on Gaza’s future. The Palestinian group said it was ready to hand over administration of the enclave to a government of Palestinian technocrats and to release all Israeli captives.
The response, however, left unaddressed the question of Hamas’s disarmament. Instead, the group said it was prepared to “immediately enter” peace negotiations through mediators to resolve outstanding issues.
President Trump delivered an unusual video address welcoming the response, calling it an “unprecedented” step in efforts to end the war.
“I want to thank the countries that helped me put this together: Qatar, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and so many others,” Trump said. “This is a big day. We’ll see how it all turns out. We have to get the final word down in concrete.”
Trump emphasized the urgency of securing the safe return of Israeli hostages. “Very importantly, I look forward to having the hostages come home to their parents … Maybe unprecedented in many ways. It is unprecedented.”
The president added that broad regional support had been crucial to advancing his plan. “Everybody was unified in wanting this war to end and seeing peace in the Middle East. And we are very close to achieving that.”
In a swift response, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was ready to implement the “first stage” of Trump’s plan to secure the release of all hostages.
“We will continue to work in full cooperation with the president and his team to end the war in accordance with the principles laid out by Israel, which correspond with Trump’s vision for ending the war,” the statement said.
However, the Israeli response made no mention of Trump’s call for an “immediate halt” to Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza — a step the US leader described as essential to ensuring the captives’ release.
The developments mark the most significant movement yet in diplomatic efforts to end the war, though major sticking points, particularly Hamas’s disarmament and the future security arrangements in Gaza, remain unresolved.