Trump says Hamas ‘ready for lasting peace,’ orders Israel to halt Gaza offensive

US President Donald Trump on Friday announced that Hamas is “ready for lasting peace” and has agreed to his peace plan, which, according to him, would bring an end to the ongoing military assault on Gaza. He also called on Israel to “immediately stop” its bombing of the enclave. As part of the deal, Hamas announced the release of all Israeli hostages.

Speaking about the peace plan, Trump said, “Everybody will be treated fairly.” His social media post followed Hamas’s official response to Washington, in which the group signaled acceptance of certain terms of the proposal, though the extent of their agreement remains unclear.

Following Trump’s remarks, the Israeli prime minister’s office issued a statement confirming it would work toward the “immediate implementation” of the plan’s initial stage and the return of all hostages.

According to Reuters, Israeli authorities had also instructed their forces to “reduce attacks on Gaza.” However, videos emerging from the enclave showed that bombing continued through the night, despite Trump’s directive for Israel to halt its offensive.

“Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the hostages out safely and quickly!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “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.”

Trump has been persistently involved in ceasefire negotiations after repeated failures caused by Israeli withdrawals. Tel Aviv, however, dragged the war on Gaza into its second year, leaving more than 60,000 civilians dead while remaining immune to international law.