Palestinians in Gaza have expressed mix reactions ranging from hope to deep suspicion after United States President Donald Trump appeared to welcome Hamas’s response to his peace plan for the territory.
Meanwhile, despite Trump’s call for Israel to cease its attacks on Gaza, at least 41 Palestinians have been killed since dawn due to Israeli shelling and fire, report agencies.
The pace of developments overnight has left many Gaza residents struggling to grasp what comes next.
The carefully crafted statement from Hamas – thought to have been drafted with the help of mediators – stopped short of outright rejection and instead offered a qualified “yes”.
Hamas accepted Trump’s terms for the release of Israeli hostages and the idea of handing over the governance of Gaza to Palestinian technocrats – but did not give a clear response to many other elements of his 20-point proposal.
It was, many Palestinians say, a calculated reply that put the ball back in Israel’s court.
Soon after it was published, Trump wrote on social media that he believed Hamas was ready for peace and called on Israel to stop the bombing of Gaza.
Reactions among Palestinians in the territory varied from hope to deep suspicion.
Some fear Hamas has walked into a trap, and that Israel will reclaim its hostages only to resume the war. Others believe a historic opportunity has opened to end two years of conflict.
For now, Palestinians remain uncertain as they wait to see whether the words on paper can truly be enough to end the war.
In its official response to Trump’s 20-point-plan, Hamas confirmed it would “release all Israeli prisoners, both living and dead, according to the exchange formula contained in President Trump’s proposal, provided the field conditions for the exchange are met.”
While the statement did not explicitly accept the full 20-point plan, Hamas emphasised its willingness to “hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of independents (technocrats), based on Palestinian national consensus and Arab and Islamic support.”
Trump’s plan, unveiled at the White House last week, calls for an immediate ceasefire and the release of all living Israeli hostages within 72 hours, along with the remains of hostages thought to be dead, in exchange for hundreds of detained Palestinians. Currently, 48 hostages are believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza, with only 20 confirmed alive.
In exchange, Israel will release 250 prisoners serving life sentences, along with 1,700 Gazans detained after October 7, 2023, including all women and children held in that context. Additionally, for every Israeli hostage whose remains are returned, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed readiness to implement the first phase of the plan but refrained from committing to a full ceasefire, citing ongoing security concerns.
Qatar, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, the Palestinian Authority, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and several international actors welcomed Hamas’s response to President Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan.
Qatar praised Hamas’s agreement to release hostages, while Egypt expressed hope for a positive development and a permanent ceasefire. Turkey called the response an opportunity to immediately establish a ceasefire, and Pakistan urged an end to Palestinian suffering and the release of hostages.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas emphasised the need for a full ceasefire, humanitarian aid, and reconstruction under Palestinian sovereignty, a stance echoed by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres encouraged parties to seize the opportunity to end the conflict.
Among international reactions, India praised Trump’s leadership, Malaysia highlighted the priority of saving Palestinian lives despite reservations over the plan, and European countries including France, Germany, the UK, and Canada welcomed the ceasefire initiative and the prospect of hostages’ release, stressing swift implementation and humanitarian support.
The United States has positioned itself as a mediator, emphasising the urgency of hostage release and de-escalation.
Trump, who had set a Sunday deadline for a positive response from the Palestinian group, reacted early Saturday by calling on Israel to “immediately stop bombing Gaza,” adding that Hamas appeared “ready for a lasting peace.”
However, US President Donald Trump’s celebration of Hamas’ response to the 20-point ceasefire proposal reportedly took Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by surprise, according to an Israeli source.
Israel had viewed Hamas’ response as a rejection of the proposal, making Trump’s characterization of the statement as Hamas being “ready for lasting peace” the first shock. The second came when Trump ordered Israel to immediately stop bombing Gaza, forcing the Israeli military to halt its assault on Gaza City. Israel had planned to resume any renewed negotiations under continued military pressure, but Trump’s directive left the country with little choice, the source said.
Hence, despite Trump’s call, Israeli airstrikes continued, killing at least 41 Palestinians across Gaza since dawn on Saturday.
Overall, the Palestinian Ministry of Health – Gaza says at least 66 people were killed by Israeli aggression in the last 24 hours, raising the death toll in the Strip since 7 October to 67,074.
Israel detains more than 450 activists
Some 137 activists detained by Israel for taking part in a flotilla seeking to deliver aid to Gaza are being flown to Istanbul, Turkey’s foreign ministry said on Saturday.
Israel has faced international condemnation after its military intercepted all of about 40 boats in a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza and detained more than 450 activists.
Tens of thousands march in Barcelona
Tens of thousands of people are marching in Barcelona as Spain, Italy and Portugal gear up for mass demonstrations to protest Israel’s war in Gaza.
Protests in Spain’s second-largest city as well as in Madrid were called for weeks ago, while calls for demonstrations in Rome and Lisbon followed widespread anger after the Israeli interception of a humanitarian aid flotilla that had set sail from Barcelona, trying to break the blockade of the Palestinian territory.
Over 40 Spaniards, including a former Barcelona mayor, are among the 450 activists that Israel removed from the flotilla’s boats this week.
Italy already saw more than 2 million people rally on Friday across the country in a one-day general strike to support the residents of Gaza.
Spain has seen an upsurge of support for Palestinians in recent weeks while its left-wing government intensifies diplomatic efforts against the far-right government of Benjamin Netanyahu. Protests against the presence of an Israeli-owned cycling team repeatedly disrupted the Spanish Vuelta last month, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the destruction in Gaza a “genocide” and asked for the ban of all Israeli teams from international sporting events.
