President Donald J. Trump said Friday that Hamas is “ready for a lasting PEACE” and called on Israel to “immediately stop the bombing of Gaza” so hostages can be moved out safely, according to his post on Truth Social .
The message follows Trump’s earlier ultimatum giving Hamas until Sunday at 6 p.m. Washington time to agree to a peace framework and release all hostages, warning of severe consequences if talks fail. He described Hamas as a “ruthless and violent threat” and claimed many of its fighters were “surrounded and militarily trapped,” according to his prior post on Truth Social.
Hamas, which earlier circulated language rejecting a U.S. proposal as biased and urging Palestinians and regional governments to oppose normalization with Israel (Hamas statement as posted by Trump on Truth Social:), has now issued a separate written statement after Trump’s ultimatum signaling readiness to discuss terms through mediators.
In the new document shared by President Trump on Truth Social , titled “Important Statement on Hamas’ Response to U.S. President Trump’s Proposal” and reviewed by Virginia Times, Hamas says it “appreciates the Arab, Islamic, and international efforts, as well as the efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump,” and outlines conditional steps it is prepared to take. The movement announces its approval to release “all occupation prisoners—both living and remains—according to the exchange formula contained in President Trump’s proposal,” with “necessary field conditions” for implementation. It affirms readiness to “immediately enter, through the mediators, into negotiations to discuss the details.”
The statement also says Hamas “reaffirms its approval to hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of independents (technocrats) based on Palestinian national consensus and supported by Arab and Islamic backing.” Other issues about Gaza’s future and Palestinian rights, it adds, should be addressed by a collective national position “in accordance with relevant international laws and resolutions,” within a broader Palestinian framework that includes Hamas.
Taken together, the latest text marks a notable shift in tone from the earlier rejectionist language Hamas circulated and that Trump shared online, even as the movement preserves its demand that final-status questions be handled through Palestinian consensus consistent with international law.
Trump, for his part, framed the moment as an opportunity to halt bloodshed, urging a pause in strikes “so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly” and saying negotiations on details are underway. He reiterated that “this is about long sought PEACE in the Middle East,” according to his Friday post on Truth Social.
In a related political backdrop, President Mahmoud Abbas has previously pledged to hold general presidential and parliamentary elections within one year after the war ends, contingent on conditions for free and fair voting, according to the State of Palestine mission to the United Nations on X (State of Palestine – UN Mission on X.
What’s next: Mediators are expected to test whether Hamas’s readiness to negotiate—particularly on a prisoner exchange and an interim technocratic administration for Gaza—can be translated into concrete steps ahead of the Sunday deadline set out by Trump. Hostage-release mechanics, security guarantees, and humanitarian access remain immediate hurdles as all sides weigh a potential pause in fighting.
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