The militant group has also expressed a readiness to hand over Gaza governance to independent Palestinian “technocrats”
Palestinian militant group Hamas has said it is prepared to release all the Israeli hostages and enter negotiations to iron out the details of the handover. The group also reiterated its readiness to hand over Gaza to an independent Palestinian body.
Hamas said on Friday that it had made the decision after a “thorough study” of the 20-point plan unveiled by US President Donald Trump on Monday. The plan calls for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and the militant group, a hostages-for-prisoners exchange, a phased Israeli withdrawal from the enclave, and creation of a transitional international administration.
The group formally announced “its agreement to release all prisoners of the occupation alive and dead according to the exchange formula contained in President Trump’s proposal.”
“In this context, the movement confirms its readiness to immediately enter through mediators into negotiations to discuss the details of this,” Hamas said in a statement.
The group also said it was ready to transfer the governance of Gaza to “a Palestinian body of independents.” The body of “technocrats” should be “based on the Palestinian national consensus and based on Arab and Islamic support,” it added.
Hamas did not explicitly agree to or reject the other points envisioned in the Trump plan – including its own full disarmament. The “other issues” mentioned in the plan are bound to be discussed “through an inclusive Palestinian national framework in which Hamas will be included and will contribute to it with all responsibility,” it stated.
A senior official with the group, Mousa Abu Marzook, further elaborated on the announcement, stating that to “stop the war and massacres” was the priority. He told Al Jazeera that handing over all the hostages within 72 hours before Trump’s ultimatum deadline runs out was “theoretical and unrealistic.” He also touched upon the disarmament issue, stating that the group will “hand over weapons to the coming Palestinian state, and whoever governs Gaza will have weapons in their hands.”
The announcement comes shortly after Trump issued his latest ultimatum to Hamas, demanding the group accept his plan by 6pm US Eastern time (22:00 GMT) on Sunday or face ultimate destruction.
“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,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social earlier in the day.
Hamas said acceptance of a Gaza ceasefire does not mean disarmament, telling RIA Novosti that weapons would only be surrendered once a Palestinian state with its own army is established. The group said the key issue is halting the fighting, with other details open for discussion.
Talks on hostages and a wider settlement are due to start October 5 in Egypt, Israel’s Channel 12 reported, adding that the 72-hour deadline for releases may be extended given conditions on the ground.
Hamas took around 250 people hostage during the October 7, 2023 surprise attack on southern Israel that left at least 1,200 people dead and prompted Israel’s subsequent operation in Gaza. The militants are believed to still hold in custody nearly 50 hostages, of whom roughly half are presumed to be alive.
The Israeli military campaign in Gaza has caused widespread destruction across the enclave and displaced most of its residents, while over 68,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the local health authorities.
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