WASHINGTON, 04 Oct. - (ANA) - US President Donald Trump ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza after Hamas announced it was ready to release all its remaining hostages on Friday evening.

 

Mr Trump said he believed Hamas was “ready for a lasting peace” after receiving their formal response to his peace plan for Gaza.

 

“Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the hostages out safely and quickly!” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social.

 

He released his comments on a day of rapid progress in the Middle East.

 

On Friday night, Israeli media reported that Israel’s forces were preparing to reduce offensive operations in Gaza to a minimum, including pausing the ground assault on Gaza City.

 

Israel said it would prepare for the “immediate implementation” of the first stage of the peace plan, which includes the release of all hostages.

 

Hamas issued its response to Mr Trump’s 20-point peace plan soon after the US president said it would face “all hell” if it did not sign up to the agreement by 6pm on Sunday.

 

The terror group said it would release all its remaining hostages, living and dead, and negotiate terms of a peace deal in order to reach a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

 

“In this context, the movement affirms its readiness to immediately enter into negotiations through the mediators to discuss the details of this agreement,” the terror group said in a statement.

 

The response brings the prospect of peace a step closer, even if major hurdles remain.

 

Despite the formal response to Mr Trump’s proposal, a senior Hamas official said the group would not disarm before Israel ended its “occupation” and that it would not be possible to free the remaining hostages within 72 hours, another key demand.

 

For his part, Mr Trump exuded optimism as he said an end to Israeli bombing would help create conditions for releases.

 

“Right now, it’s far too dangerous to do that,” he said. “We are already in discussions on details to be worked out.

 

“This is not about Gaza alone, this is about long sought PEACE in the Middle East.”

 

The White House released a photograph of the president recording a response to the Hamas statement soon after details of it emerged.

 

In response, Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement on Friday night saying it was preparing for the “immediate implementation” of the first stage of the peace plan.

 

“Israel is prepared for the immediate implementation of the first stage of Trump’s plan for the immediate release of all the hostages,” the statement said.

 

“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.”

 

Negotiations moved rapidly after Israel launched strikes on Qatar’s capital Doha, where the Hamas negotiating team is based, last month.

 

It took Mr Trump and his aides by surprise, and they used it to heap pressure on Mr Netanyahu to move forward with negotiations.

 

The result was a 20-point plan unveiled at the White House on Monday, setting out conditions for the release of hostages by Hamas, alongside the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.

 

Hamas said it appreciated Mr Trump’s efforts to achieve peace but that some parts of the plan would need further negotiations.

 

It said it agreed to hand over the administration of Gaza to an independent body of Palestinian technocrats.

 

Under Mr Trump’s plan, the strip would temporarily be run by the US president’s board of peace.

 

“Other issues mentioned in President Trump’s proposal regarding the future of the Gaza Strip and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people are connected to a unified national position and relevant international laws and resolutions,” Hamas said.

 

A senior official laid out a series of potential stumbling blocks in an interview with Al Jazeera.

 

Mousa Abu Marzouk said that transferring the hostages in the next 72 hours, another key requirement, was “unrealistic” and that the group would not disarm before the Israeli “occupation” ended.

 

Michal Wahid Hanna, of the International Crisis Group, said Mr Trump’s response moved the process forward but could signal fresh tension with Israel.

 

“Hamas’s statement, which was a qualified yes, was aimed at convincing Trump that they were on board with his plan, and that approach seems to have succeeded with Trump now deeming their response as an acceptance,” he said.

 

“His call for the fighting to come to an immediate end also likely sets up friction with Israel.”

 

The plan calls for a ceasefire, the disarmament of Hamas and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

 

It also sets out proposals for a transitional government, with a “board of peace” led by Mr Trump and includes Sir Tony Blair, the former British prime minister.

 

Sources earlier suggested that Hamas was divided over Mr Trump’s plan, with different factions pushing for unconditional approval and a ceasefire to be underwritten by mediators, and other groups wanting more clarification on how the broad framework would be implemented.

 

The group must also navigate a geographical split between commanders on the ground in Gaza and its senior leadership based in the Qatari capital Doha.

 

Murmurings from Gulf capitals earlier in the day suggested Hamas may come under pressure from Arab leaders to accept the deal in the interests of regional stability and economic growth.

 

The Palestinian cause has long been an article of faith in the Arab world. But Saudi Arabia, for example, had signalled it was willing to consider normalising relations with Israel and build economic ties, until the Gaza war derailed talks.

 

Amr Moussa, the former Egyptian foreign minister, said: “The mood is to welcome the Trump initiative because of the general atmosphere of pessimism in the Middle East.”

 

 

 

 

Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, in a statement on Friday, said: “Hamas’s acceptance of the US peace plan is a significant step forwards.

 

“We strongly support President Trump’s efforts, which have brought us closer to peace than ever before.

 

“There is now an opportunity to end the fighting, for the hostages to return home, and for humanitarian aid to reach those who so desperately need it. We call on all sides to implement the agreement without delay.

 

“The UK, alongside our partners, stands ready to support further negotiations and to work towards sustainable peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”

 

Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, added his voice to those optimistic regarding the peace plan. He said: “Peace in Gaza and the release of the hostages are within reach.”

 

Mr Merz said in posts on X that the plan represented “the best chance for peace” in the conflict and that Germany “fully supports” Mr Trump’s “call upon both sides”.

 

The war in Gaza will reach its second anniversary next week.

 

More than 66,000 people have been killed, according to local authorities in the Hamas-run enclave, since Israel launched its bombardment.

 

The offensive followed the Oct 7 attack, when more than 1,000 Israelis were murdered.

 

Friday brought fresh reports of heavy bombing and shelling of Gaza City. Gaza’s civil defence agency said at least 11 people had been killed across the territory.   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/04 October 2025  - - -