Trump tells Israel to stop fighting as Hamas accepts parts of peace deal

(NewsNation) — President Trump on Friday urged Israel to cease fighting in Gaza, saying Hamas’ willingness to release all remaining hostages indicates the militant group is “ready” for peace, even though it has only accepted parts his proposed peace plan.

“Based on the Statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE. 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 president said on the Truth Social media platform.

The White House earlier this week pushed a 20-point peace plan to end fighting in Gaza and gave Hamas until Sunday to accept the terms, which include releasing all living and dead hostages in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed Trump's proposal, saying it satisfied Israel's war aims.

Hamas said Friday it would agree to release “all occupation prisoners — both living and remains — according to the exchange formula contained in President Trump’s proposal.” But Hamas leaders said they want to negotiate other details with mediators.

This seemed to satisfy Trump, who posted a video to Truth Social thanking countries that have taken part in peace negotiations. “This is a big day. We’ll see how it all turns out,” he said.

Friday's developments buoyed the hopes of peace proponents, including United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. But others were skeptical. Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called the statement by Hamas a “classic ‘Yes, but’” response that ultimately rejects the president’s “take it or leave it” deal.

“No disarmament, keeping Gaza under Palestinian control, and tying hostage release to negotiations, along with other problems,” Graham said of the response.

As of Friday evening, Netanyahu's government had not issued a statement about the prime minister's response to the latest developments.

Families of hostages react as Trump peace plan moves forward

Moshe Lavi, whose brother-in-law, Omri Miran, is among the 20 hostages believed to be alive in Gaza, expressed caution over the latest developments. He said Hamas has scuttled ceasefire deals in the past.

“I think it’s too early to be enthusiastic about it, because we’ve heard before their ‘yes, but …’ responses, and this feels (like) more of that,” Lavi told “NewsNation Now.”

Another 28 hostages are believed to be dead, with their bodies held by Hamas. Itay Chen is presumed to be in the latter category. The dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, 19, was serving in the Israel Defense Forces on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas forces entered Israel and killed more than 1,200 people, mostly Israelis, which sparked the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Chen's father, Ruby Chen, told "Elizabeth Vargas Reports" he's feeling "cautious optimism" about the potential peace deal and the return of hostages. He added: "We have been doing this for two years. So, we are feeling somewhat numb."

Israel's military campaign has killed more than 66,000 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to Gaza health authorities.

Reuters contributed to this report.