Israel and Hamas signaled a readiness to move forward with President Trump’s cease-fire plan in a diplomatic breakthrough, but significant gaps will need to be negotiated to bring an end to the war in Gaza.
The Israeli government said on Saturday morning that it was preparing for the “immediate implementation” of the first steps of Mr. Trump’s plan. Hours earlier, Hamas issued its own qualified acceptance of the proposal, saying it would release all remaining hostages.
Mr. Trump exuded confidence that a deal was imminent, saying it was a “big day” while also exhorting Israel to stop bombing Gaza. He conceded that negotiators still needed “to get the final word down in concrete.”
Neither Israel nor Hamas addressed in detail what had long been seen as the major sticking points to reaching an agreement. Hamas did not elaborate on whether it would accept Mr. Trump’s stipulation, backed by Israel, that the group disarm.
It was also unclear whether Israel was willing to accept any major changes to Mr. Trump’s plan, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said he supported during a visit to the White House this week.
Israeli negotiators were preparing on Saturday to travel abroad for indirect talks with Hamas, but it was not known when they would leave, said four officials from the region, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive political matters.
Israelis and Palestinians were caught between disbelief, tentative hope and utter confusion after the back-to-back developments, which many hoped could at least bring an end to the nearly two-year war.
Earlier this week, Mr. Trump released a 20-point-plan to release the remaining hostages held in Gaza and to end Israel’s deadly military campaign there. At least 20 living hostages and the bodies of around 25 others are still believed to be held in Gaza.
Under the plan, Hamas would free the remaining hostages within 72 hours and hand over its weapons, and its rule in Gaza would end. Israeli forces would gradually withdraw from Gaza and allow an internationally supervised Palestinian administration to assume responsibility for public services there.
Hamas submitted its response to Mr. Trump’s proposal late Friday night. In a statement, the group said it agreed to release all the remaining hostages according to the terms laid out in the plan. That would mean the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences in Israel, along with 1,700 others detained since the start of the war. The bodies of 15 Gazans would be exchanged for each dead captive held by Hamas.
But Hamas also said it wanted certain conditions on the ground to facilitate the exchange and that this would require further negotiations. The group was vague about whether it would be willing to disarm or to fully relinquish its dominant role in Gaza, as Mr. Trump’s plan envisions.
Mr. Trump hailed Hamas’s response as evidence that the group’s leaders “are ready for a lasting PEACE” in a post on social media. He said Israel should “immediately stop the bombing of Gaza” to enable the hostage release to go ahead.
Several hours later, Mr. Netanyahu’s office issued its own statement, saying that Israel was preparing for “the immediate release of all the hostages” and would keep working with Mr. Trump “to bring the war to an end in accordance with the principles set forth by Israel.” Separately, the military reinforced the need “for a rapid response to neutralize any threat.”
Palestinians in Gaza said explosions continued into the early morning, suggesting continued Israeli operations. Many Gazans, exhausted and traumatized by the war, say they hope Hamas makes whatever concessions necessary to reach a deal with Israel.
Natan Odenheimer contributed reporting from Tel Aviv.
Aaron Boxerman is a Times reporter covering Israel and Gaza. He is based in Jerusalem.
David M. Halbfinger is on his second assignment as Jerusalem bureau chief of The New York Times, leading coverage of Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. After his first tour there, from 2017 to 2021, he served as Politics editor, overseeing coverage of national politics, threats to democracy and the 2024 presidential campaign.
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