Welcome to The Logoff: Hamas said late Friday that it would release all remaining Israeli hostages, a major condition of a US peace plan put forward earlier this week to end Israel’s war in Gaza.
What did Hamas agree to? In a statement released by the White House and attributed to Hamas, the group said that it would “immediately enter…into negotiations to discuss the details” of releasing the hostages and “hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of independents.” It did not commit to the other stipulations in the administration’s peace plan.
What’s the context? On Monday, with the support of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump released a 20-point proposal calling for an immediate ceasefire, the release of the final Israeli hostages held by Hamas, the release of Palestinian prisoners by Israel, and the opening of Gaza to badly needed humanitarian aid, as well as longer-term provisions.
How is the White House responding? In a Truth Social post, Trump called for Israel to end its bombing of Gaza, writing that, “Based on the Statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE.” Earlier on Friday, he had threatened that “all HELL” would “break out” if Hamas did not agree to the peace plan by Sunday at 6 pm Eastern.
What’s next? It’s unclear. Trump’s apparent acceptance of Hamas’s statement on Friday is an encouraging sign, but it’s hard to predict a ceasefire, much less any sort of long-term peace deal, with certainty until it’s actually in place.
As my colleague Josh Keating reported on Monday, Israel’s internal politics could prove an issue — despite Netanyahu’s apparent support for the deal, he could face a revolt by more extreme elements of his governing coalition. The absence of a firm Hamas commitment to the entire Trump plan could also provoke difficulties. But for now, this appears to be a tangible step forward.
