Hamas announced Friday evening that it had officially conveyed its response to mediators.
According to the terrorist organization, its reply expressed appreciation for the efforts of Arab and Islamic countries, the international community, and US President Donald Trump to end the war, secure a hostage deal, bring immediate supplies into Gaza, and reject both a takeover of the Strip and the forced migration of its residents.
The statement came just hours after Trump's deadline to Hamas to approve the agreement "by Sunday at six, or it will be hell."
In its response, Hamas said it ostensibly agreed to release all hostages in line with the wording of the Trump plan, but conditioned this on "the necessary circumstances on the ground" being met. The terrorist organization noted it was prepared to enter additional negotiations immediately to "discuss the details of the process." In other words, Hamas qualified its consent to handing over hostages within 72 hours.
Hamas also confirmed that it agreed to transfer authority in Gaza to a "Palestinian technocratic administration" based on Palestinian consensus and backed by Arab and Islamic countries. However, the organization did not directly address in its official statement other contentious issues such as the question of disarmament and placing Gaza under an international council. Instead, Hamas said these required further discussion.
"Regarding the other issues included in President Trump's proposal, which touch on the future of Gaza and the rights of the Palestinian people," the statement read, "these are matters of a national position based on international law and resolutions. They will be discussed within a comprehensive Palestinian national framework, to which Hamas will contribute with full responsibility."
