KABUL: Donald Trump, the U.S. President, in a statement on his X, this morning called on Israel to immediately stop the bombing of the Gaza Strip to facilitate the release of prisoners and captives, following Hamas’s response to his peace proposal.
In response to the U.S. President’s plan, Hamas stated that it would agree to the release of all living prisoners and the remains of those killed if the war in Gaza ceased and Israeli forces withdrew from the region.
Hamas’s response emphasized that it would announce its agreement to release all prisoners under occupation—both living and deceased—based on the exchange formula outlined in Trump’s proposal, provided that necessary conditions are met for the exchange to occur.
The movement stressed that this agreement is made out of a “commitment to end the aggression and genocide against the people of Gaza, national responsibility, and defense of the consistent considerations and rights of Palestinians, as well as the resistance of this movement,” following extensive consultations with Palestinian resistance factions, mediators, and a responsible response to the U.S. President’s plan.
Meanwhile, in a video message on X, Trump stated: “Based on the announcement just released by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting peace. Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza so that we can safely and quickly free the hostages! Right now, doing so is very dangerous.”
It appears that the bloody and destructive war in the Gaza Strip is nearing its conclusion on the second anniversary of its onset (October 7).
This conflict has resulted in the destruction of Gaza and the deaths of approximately 70,000 Palestinians, including women and children, with over 100,000 others injured in the past two years.