Trump tells Israel 'stop bombing Gaza' - as Hamas agrees to release Israeli hostages, and to parts of peace deal

President Trump has said Hamas is ready for a "lasting peace" after the Palestinian militants agreed to release all remaining hostages, as he called on Israel to stop bombing Gaza.

The US leader was responding to a statement by Hamas earlier on Friday in which the group committed to returning all remaining hostages in Gaza, dead and alive.

Hamas also said it wants to engage in negotiations to discuss further details of the president's peace plan, including handing over "administration of the enclave to a Palestinian body of independent technocrats".

However, other aspects of the 20-point document, it warned, would require further consultation among Palestinians.

The Hamas statement came after Mr Trump warned he would unleash "all hell" if they did not respond to his peace plan, announced earlier this week, by Sunday.

Following the Hamas statement, the president said there was now a real chance of peace.

"I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE," Mr Trump posted on Truth Social. "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 details to be worked out. This is not about Gaza alone, this is about long sought PEACE in the Middle East."

The breakthrough came just hours after Mr Trump had set a new deadline of Sunday to respond to his proposals, backed by the Arab nations.

The president and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled the peace plan at the White House on Monday.

Israel agreed to the terms, which include an immediate ceasefire; the release of all hostages; Hamas disarming; a guarantee no one will be forced to leave Gaza; and a governing "peace panel" including Sir Tony Blair.

And on Friday, a statement from Hamas confirmed "its approval to release all prisoners of the occupation - whether alive or the remains of the deceased - according to the exchange framework included in President Trump's proposal".

Israel estimates that 48 hostages remain in Gaza, 20 of who are alive.

The group also said it was ready to engage in negotiations through mediators and that it appreciated "Arab, Islamic and international efforts, as well as the efforts of US President Donald Trump".

But, Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk told Al Jazeera news the group would not disarm "before the Israeli occupation ends".

Sky News Middle East correspondent Adam Parsons said the "most important part" of the Hamas response was that it showed a willingness to do a deal.

"The peace plan could have died - Hamas could have rejected it - but it is still alive."

He said there were still "huge obstacles" which would prevent outright acceptance though.

In spite of a pledge to release hostages, he said Hamas did not entirely know where all of them were - some were even being held by other groups.

Hamas's support for a new government for Palestine was positive, he said, but the specification in the Hamas response that it should be purely Palestinian and not, as Mr Trump had proposed, a "panel" that included external representatives, would be problematic.

In an earlier Truth Social post on Friday, Mr Trump had said if Hamas did not agree to the peace deal by Sunday evening "all hell" would break out.

Ramping up pressure

He had posted: "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. THERE WILL BE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST ONE WAY OR THE OTHER."

Israel has sought to ramp up pressure on Hamas since ending an earlier ceasefire in March.

It sealed the territory off from food, medicine and other goods for two and a half months and has seized, flattened and largely depopulated large areas of the territory.

Experts determined Gaza City had slid into famine shortly before Israel launched a major offensive aimed at occupying it.

An estimated 400,000 people have fled the city in recent weeks, but hundreds of thousands more have stayed behind.

Most of Hamas' top leaders in Gaza and thousands of its fighters have already been killed, but it still has influence in areas not controlled by the Israeli military and launches sporadic attacks that have killed and wounded Israeli soldiers.

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