Hamas Agrees to Release Israeli Hostages But Sets Conditions

Hamas agreed to release the last of the hostages from its 2023 attack on Israel but said the rest of a US peace plan would be subject to negotiation, a stance that offered uncertain hopes for an end to the conflict in Gaza.

President Donald Trump responded favorably to the Hamas statement even though the group failed to address other key elements of his 20-point proposal that Israel has also demanded, including that it disarm. He called on Israel to stop its bombing campaign and said discussions were underway on “details to be worked out,” suggesting that he was willing to give Hamas some leeway.

“I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE,” Trump said of Hamas in a social media post. “Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly!”

In a subsequent video post, Trump thanked the Muslim-majority nations he credited with assisting in the negotiations and pledged that “everybody will be treated fairly” in ongoing talks.

“This is a big day,” Trump said. “We’ll see how it all turns out — we have to get the final word down in concrete.”

Trump’s position shifted the onus to Israel, which had previously vowed to press ahead with its campaign until all hostages are released and the group is defeated. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously insisted that fighting would continue during any negotiations, and abiding by Trump’s demand would likely face resistance from key members of his ruling coalition.

In a statement, the Israeli prime minister’s office said it was preparing to “immediately implement the first phase of Trump’s plan for the immediate 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 set forth by Israel that are consistent with President Trump’s vision,” Netanyahu’s office said.

Pressure to Agree

The statement was different from ones Hamas has made in the past, and marked the first time that Hamas has shown its readiness to release all the hostages with few apparent conditions. There was no demand for a permanent ceasefire, for example.

Arab nations had put strong pressure on Hamas to agree to Trump’s proposal. Egypt and Qatar both voiced approval of the Hamas statement, with Qatar government spokesman Majed Al Ansari saying his nation, which had served as a mediator in previous rounds of talks, supported Trump’s push for “rapid results that would put an end to the bloodshed of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”

“Now the ball is back in Netanyahu’s court,” said Yousef Munayyer, head of the Palestine-Israel program at the Arab Center in Washington. “They wanted the White House to treat this as take-it-or-leave-it. And this suggests that Trump is not ready to leave it.”

In its statement, Hamas said it agreed “to release all Israeli prisoners — both living and deceased — in accordance with the exchange formula outlined in President Trump’s proposal, and contingent upon the necessary field conditions for carrying out the exchange.”

Hamas also said the hostages would need to be released “in a manner that ensures the cessation of the war and the full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip,” a caveat that raised questions in Israel about whether the group would go through with the plan.

The group said other parts of Trump’s 20-point plan “require a unified national stance and must be addressed based on relevant international laws and resolutions.” There was also no mention of Trump’s proposal for the involvement of a “Board of Peace” to be chaired by Trump and involve other world leaders, including former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.

“We will enter negotiations regarding all issues related to the movement and weapons,” senior Hamas official Musa Abu Marzouk said to Qatari network Al Jazeera. “We agreed to the plan in principle based on its main points, but its implementation requires negotiations.”

Hamas is still holding 48 people with Israel believing around 20 are still alive. He speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec.

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