Trump Demands Immediate End to Gaza Bombing as Hamas Accepts Hostage Release Terms

Donald Trump characterized it as a "very special day" as he called for an immediate cessation of Israeli military operations in Gaza.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday urged Israel to "immediately stop the bombing of Gaza" following Hamas's partial acceptance of his Gaza peace proposal, which includes the release of all hostages. Trump expressed his belief on Truth Social that Hamas is prepared for "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 stated.

In a video message, the President thanked the nations that assisted in facilitating peace efforts in the Middle East.

"I want to thank the countries for helping me put this together - Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and so many others. So many people fought so hard. This is a big day. We'll see how it all turns out. We have to get the final word down and concrete. Very importantly, I look forward to having the hostages come home to their parents. Some of the hostages - unfortunately, you know the condition they're in - come home likewise to their parents because their parents wanted them just as much as though that young man or young woman were alive," he remarked.

The Republican leader described it as "unprecedented" and added, "But thank you all and the countries that helped. We were given a tremendous amount of help. Everybody was unified in wanting this war to end and seeing peace in the Middle East. We are very close to achieving that. Thank you all, and everybody will be treated fairly."

President Donald J. Trump shared his response to Hamas's statement regarding his peace plan, emphasizing: "Very importantly, I look forward to having the hostages come home."

Trump, who has invested significant effort in ending a two-year conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and left US-ally Israel increasingly isolated internationally, had previously given Hamas an ultimatum to accept his 20-point Gaza peace plan by Sunday, 6 pm (US time) or face "all hell." Hours later, Hamas accepted certain aspects of the plan, including war termination, Israeli withdrawal, release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian captives, aid distribution, and opposition to Palestinian expulsion from Gaza.

However, discrepancies emerged between Hamas's statement and Trump's plan regarding Gaza's future governance and Hamas's role in the territory's administration, issues for which the Palestinian group requested further negotiations.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Office responded to Hamas's acceptance by stating they are "preparing for the immediate implementation of the first stage of the Trump plan for the release of all the 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 out by Israel, which align with President Trump's vision," the statement indicated.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) emphasized that while implementing the hostage release plan, the "security" of their forces remains the "utmost priority." "All IDF capabilities will be allocated to the Southern Command for the protection of our forces. The Chief of the General Staff noted that in light of the operational sensitivity, all forces must exercise great vigilance and alertness. Additionally, he emphasized the need for a rapid response to remove any threat," they stated.

"The Chief of the General Staff convened a special situation assessment during the night in light of the developments. The situation assessment was attended by the Deputy Chief of the General Staff, the Head of the Operations Directorate, the Head of the Intelligence Directorate, the Head of the Planning Directorate, the Commander of the Home Front Command, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, the Commander of the Southern Command, and the Commander of the Air Force. In accordance with the directive of the political echelon, the Chief of the General Staff instructed to advance readiness for implementing the first stage of the Trump plan for the release of the hostages," the IDF announced on X.

Israel launched its Gaza offensive following the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 individuals taken hostage to Gaza. Since then, Israel's military campaign has claimed over 66,000 Palestinian lives, primarily civilians, according to Gaza health authorities. The assault has devastated much of the territory, while aid restrictions have triggered famine conditions in parts of Gaza.