On Friday, Hamas declared that it had backed specific elements of the former president's ultimatum to conclude the war in Gaza, agreeing to a hostage exchange and to relinquish administrative authority in the coastal enclave, but stated that it wished further negotiations on remaining components of the plan.
The group remained silent on whether it would agree to disarm – a critical component of the Trump proposal – and kept vague its response to additional sections of the comprehensive strategy initially suggested by Donald Trump last Monday.
It was unclear how the former president would react to a conditional response to his plan, which came just hours after he set a Sunday deadline for the group to respond. He stated that if an agreement was not achieved "all hell" would ensue against Hamas, whose militants he described as surrounded and trapped.
Key Agreements and Stipulations
In a statement, Hamas said that it was providing its "approval of freeing all occupation prisoners – both alive and deceased – according to the exchange formula included in Donald Trump's plan, with the necessary field conditions for executing the exchange."
The communication continued to say that the organization was ready to turn over "the administration of the Gaza Strip to a local entity of non-partisan technocrats founded on local agreement and backed by Arab and Islamic backing."
Areas Needing Further Discussion
However, the faction noted that "remaining matters" in Trump's strategy would require to be discussed further "through a consolidated local process." The unspecified topics that the group will seek talks on are likely to involve the matter of its weapons, the pullout of Jewish state troops from the region, and international guarantees for the implementation of a lasting ceasefire.
The former president's plan demanded an swift cessation to hostilities in Gaza, an exchange of hostages and local detainees within 72 hours of the agreement's approval, a phased retreat of Israeli military from the strip, as well as the disarmament of the group and a postwar interim authority led by Donald Trump.
Humanitarian and Reconstruction Terms
The agreement also stipulated a increase of aid to Gaza, parts of which are presently experiencing famine, and rebuilding to the largely destroyed strip.
The deal was mostly viewed as unfavourable to the faction and if agreed in full, would probably spell the organization's demise as an armed local group while demanding minimal concessions from Israel. International influence on the faction to accept the plan, was tremendous though, with the majority of local and world powers supporting the Trump imitative.
Impact of the Captive Exchange
Though the organization did not immediately agree to lay down weapons, its consent to hand over captives will be seen as significant. The forty-eight individuals have been utilized by the faction as primary leverage during the almost 24-month conflict in its discussions with the US and Israeli officials. Giving them up will result in the organization with few bargaining chips going forward.
Neither the White House nor Israeli officials have yet replied to Hamas's request for changes to the Trump demand.
Conflict Casualties and Context
Israel's military campaign in Gaza has claimed at least 62,622 Palestinians and wounded about 170,000, according to the Gaza health authority. The hostilities was launched by Israel in response to Hamas-affiliated militants murdering about twelve hundred people and taking 251 captives in Israel about nearly 24 months ago.
