 "Hamas accepted part of US President Donald Trump’s ultimatum to end the war, prompting him to call on Israel to 'immediately' halt its bombardment of Gaza. (Image credit: AFP)")
Hamas on Saturday said that it is ready to discuss and resolve all the outstanding issues the group has with US President Donald Trump after it partially accepted his deal, breaking a stalemate in the Gaza war.
“We are ready to begin negotiations immediately to finalise all issues,” a senior Hamas official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Hamas has agreed to release all hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, following which Trump ordered Israel to “immediately” stop the bombardment of Gaza.
Hamas’s response to Trump’s 20-point peace plan has offered optimism to the world that there can finally be a resolution to the long-drawn war in Gaza that has killed thousands in the past two years.
Israel enters ‘first phase’ of peace plan
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office early on Saturday said that the government is preparing to ‘immediately implement’ the first phase of Trump’s Gaza peace plan.
“In light of Hamas’s response, Israel is preparing to immediately implement the first phase of Trump’s plan for the immediate release of all hostages,” the statement said.
It added, “We will continue to work in full cooperation with the President and his team to end the war in accordance with the principles set forth by Israel that are consistent with President Trump’s vision.”
Strikes continue in Gaza
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has been ordered to halt the offensive in Gaza after Hamas partially accepted US President Donald Trump’s peace plan. However, some Palestinian media reports suggest that strikes are still being conducted in Gaza.
The IDF has said that Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir instructed troops to “remove any threat.” Hamas has agreed to release all hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsA report by Times of Israel mentioned Palestinian media as saying that four people were killed in a strike in the Tuffah neighbourhood of Gaza City, and artillery shelling was carried out in an area north of Bureij in central Gaza and in the Khan Younis area in the Strip’s south.
Overnight, the IDF released a statement saying that “per the order of the political echelon,” Zamir had directed troops to prepare “for the implementation of the first stage of Trump’s plans to free the hostages.” The statement, issued after a meeting with top generals for “a special situational assessment in light of the developments,” did not specify what the order involved.