Hamas agrees to release hostages but rejects foreign administration in Gaza

Hamas has agreed to release all Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian resistance group announced on Friday.

The decision reportedly came after what the group described as “extensive consultations” with its senior leadership, various Palestinian factions, and international mediators.

The announcement followed a stark warning from US President Donald Trump, who earlier on Friday urged Hamas to accept his proposed peace plan by 6 pm Sunday (local US time) or face what he called “hellish consequences.” His ultimatum also included the immediate release of all hostages—both living and deceased.

Within hours of Trump’s statement, Hamas issued a response agreeing to partially accept the US peace plan, particularly the clause concerning the exchange and rele of hostages. The group, however, stressed that the process must comply with agreed “ground conditions.”

Hamas said it is ready to return to the negotiation table immediately through mediators to finalize details. It also proposed transferring Gaza’s administrative control to an independent Palestinian technocratic body, one formed through national consensus and supported by the Arab and Islamic world.

Following Hamas’s statement, President Trump welcomed the development, posting on his Truth Social account that Israel should immediately halt bombings in Gaza to ensure the hostages’ safe release. He noted that continued strikes could endanger the lives of those being held.

Subsequently, the Israeli government reportedly ordered its military to pause the Gaza offensive, according to Army Radio, which is operated by the Israeli Defense Forces.

On Truth Social, Trump added, “We are working through the remaining unresolved issues. This is not just about Gaza—it’s about establishing lasting peace in the Middle East, something the world has long hoped for.”

Israeli Channel 12’s Washington correspondent Barak Ravid quoted a senior Israeli official saying that Trump’s swift reaction “caught Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by surprise.”

Hamas clarified that it has not accepted Trump’s 20-point peace plan in full, agreeing only to parts of it. The group reiterated its long-held position that several key issues remain unresolved, particularly the demilitarization of Gaza.

Senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk told Al Jazeera that the group will not disarm “until the Israeli occupation ends completely.”

In its statement Hamas said, “Matters related to Gaza’s future and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people must be addressed within a comprehensive national framework, grounded in relevant international laws and principles.”

Following the statement, senior Hamas representative Osama Hamdan told Al Arabi TV from Doha that the group would not accept any foreign administration in Gaza. “The governance of Gaza must remain in Palestinian hands—even during a transitional period,” he said.

One of the most controversial elements of Trump’s plan reportedly involves placing Gaza under the control of a committee of wealthy pro-Israel figures led by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

In a rare move, Trump attached the full text of Hamas’s official statement to his Truth Social post—an unprecedented act for a US president, as no American leader before him has ever directly shared an official Hamas document with the public.