JERUSALEM: Hamas said on Friday it was ready to release hostages held in Gaza under a peace deal proposed by Donald Trump but wanted negotiations on the details and a say in the future of the Palestinian territory.
“The movement announces its approval for the release of all hostages – living and remains – according to the exchange formula included in President Trump’s proposal,” Hamas said in a statement, adding it was ready to enter talks “to discuss the details”.
The peace plan for Gaza, presented by Trump this week and backed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calls for a ceasefire, the release of hostages within 72 hours, Hamas’s disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
In the statement, Hamas said it agreed to hand over power in Gaza to a body of Palestinian technocrats but said decisions on the territory’s long-term future would need to be discussed within a Palestinian framework “in which Hamas will participate and contribute responsibly”.
Hamas’s statement made no mention of its intentions on disarmament, a key part of the US president’s plan and a move the group has previously resisted.
Following the announcement, Mahmoud Mardawi, a senior Hamas official, told AFP the group welcomed Trump’s proposal but that “without clear terms, criteria, and transparency, we need clarification and confirmation through a negotiated agreement”.
“The American proposal is vague, ambiguous, and lacks clarity,” Mardawi said.
Hamas had “made our position clear, and we are now waiting to see how the details of the terms will be implemented and clarified”, he added.
Under the US plan published on Monday – which has been welcomed by world powers, including Arab and Muslim nations — a post-war transitional authority for Gaza would be headed by Trump himself.
Earlier on Friday the US president gave Hamas until Sunday night to respond to the plan and warned the group it faced “all hell” if it did not agree to the terms.
