A mere few hours after President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Hamas, the organization responded with a surprising nod toward Trump’s ambitious 20-point peace plan, albeit while cleverly preserving some ambiguity about certain aspects.
In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump declared, “An Agreement must be reached with Hamas by Sunday Evening at SIX (6) P.M., Washington, D.C. time. Every Country has signed on! If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas.”
This proclamation prompted a statement from Hamas that expressed tentative support for elements of Trump’s proposal, such as the release of hostages taken on October 7, 2023, but acknowledged that more discussions were essential before committing fully, as reported by the Associated Press.
Hamas indicated it was willing to release hostages “according to the exchange formula contained in President Trump’s proposal, and as the field conditions for the exchange are met,” with the term “field conditions” left intriguingly undefined, per The New York Times.
While Trump sought the relinquishment of Hamas’s governing authority, their statement proposed an intriguing alternative: a transfer of power to a “Palestinian body of independent technocrats,” crafted from a foundation of Palestinian consensus alongside support from Arab and Islamic states.
Hamas emphasized the need for discussions among Palestinians regarding the future governance of the Gaza Strip and the rights of their people, declaring, “Hamas will be a part” of these dialogues and “will contribute responsibly” to the future, thus slightly reshaping their image from a terrorist group to a participant in political discourse.
Curiously absent from the conversation, however, was any mention of Trump’s demand for Hamas to disarm. The group’s statement did stress their readiness to engage in negotiations “through the mediators to discuss the details of this agreement,” again outlined in their Friday declaration, according to NBC.
As highlighted by The Washington Post, Hamas portrayed its latest step as a move toward achieving peace, aiming for a full cessation of hostilities and a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
Furthermore, Hamas acknowledged the importance of regional and global efforts, including those from President Trump, aimed at concluding the conflict in Gaza, prioritizing a prisoner exchange, ensuring immediate humanitarian aid access, and rejecting occupation and displacement of Palestinians.
As of Friday evening, the Trump administration had not yet issued an official response to this rather intriguing turn of events.
In a somewhat boastful sharing on Truth Social, Trump posted the Hamas statement without additional comment—perhaps contemplating how to sell this as a diplomatic triumph.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt framed the situation positively on X, showcasing an image of Trump in the Oval Office and highlighting Hamas’s perceived acceptance of his peace plan.
According to The Times of Israel, however, Hamas appears to be cautious about the aspect of Trump’s plan concerning the swift handover of both living and deceased hostages, claiming uncertainty regarding the locations of all bodies.
This article originally appeared on The Western Journal.
