Israel struck Gaza on Saturday, local authorities said, despite US President Donald Trump’s call to end the bombing. He stated that Hamas is ready for peace, has agreed to release hostages, and accepted other terms as part of a US plan to end the war.
Six people were killed in Israeli fire across the Gaza Strip, according to local authorities. While four people in a house in Gaza City were killed by one strike, another left two others dead in Khan Younis in the south, medical workers and local authorities told news agency Reuters.
Earlier on Saturday, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that the country was preparing for an “immediate implementation” of the first stage of Trump’s Gaza plan, aimed at securing the release of Israeli hostages, following a response from Hamas.
Soon after, Israeli media reported that the nation’s political leadership had directed the military to scale back offensive activity in Gaza.
Hamas agreed to release all Israeli hostages
Hamas on Friday agreed to release all Israeli hostages, both living and deceased, as part of its response to the 20-point Gaza peace plan proposed earlier this week by United States President Donald Trump. This came after Trump, earlier in the day, issued a stern warning to Hamas, saying the militant group is “militarily trapped” and has been given a last chance to agree to a peace deal endorsed by regional and global powers.
In a statement released on Telegram, Hamas agreed to enter into talks to discuss the agreement details through the mediators. “In this context, the movement affirms its readiness to immediately enter into negotiations through the mediators to discuss the details of this agreement,” Hamas states, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Additionally, the group has agreed to hand over the Gaza administration to an independent Palestinian technocrats’ body based on Palestinian national consensus and Arab and Islamic support. “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,” the statement stated.
“They will be addressed through a comprehensive Palestinian national framework, in which Hamas will participate and contribute responsibly,” it added.
Trump hailed Hamas’ statement
After Hamas issued a statement agreeing to the 20-point peace plan, Trump expressed confidence in Hamas’s willingness to ensure a “lasting” peace in Gaza. Following the development, he urged Israel to stop attacking Gaza to get the hostages back.
“Based on the statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE. Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly! Right now, it’s far too dangerous to do that. We are already in discussions on the details to be worked out. This is not about Gaza alone, this is about long sought PEACE in the Middle East,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
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