Pakistan welcomes Hamas’ response towards Gaza ceasefire deal

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday welcomed what it called the closest step yet towards a ceasefire in Gaza since the conflict began, expressing hope that the opportunity for peace “must not be allowed to close again.”

In a statement, the Foreign Office said Pakistan “has always stood by the Palestinian people and shall always do so,” adding that the country remains committed to working with regional partners to secure lasting peace. Islamabad also expressed gratitude to US President Donald Trump and the leadership of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Türkiye, Jordan, Egypt and Indonesia for their role in advancing efforts to end the conflict.

US President Donald Trump on Friday called on Israel to “immediately stop bombing Gaza” after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept several conditions of a US-backed plan aimed at ending the two-year-long war in the enclave.

Trump gives Hamas ultimatum to accept Gaza plan or face ‘all hell’

Trump said Hamas’ response showed the group was “ready for lasting PEACE,” adding that the onus was now on Israel to de-escalate. “Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the hostages out safely and quickly,” he wrote on Truth Social. “This is not about Gaza alone — this is about long sought PEACE in the Middle East.”

Following Trump’s remarks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel was preparing for the “immediate implementation” of the first phase of Trump’s Gaza plan — focused on the release of Israeli hostages. Israeli media later reported that the political leadership had instructed the military to scale back operations in Gaza, though residents said air and ground strikes continued in parts of Gaza City and Khan Younis.

Hamas formally responded to Trump’s 20-point proposal just hours before a Sunday deadline set by Washington. The group said it supported “an end to the war, the exchange of prisoners and the immediate entry of aid,” while agreeing to release all Israeli captives — living and deceased — under the proposed exchange framework.

The statement said Hamas’ latest response to a US-brokered peace plan “creates a window for ceasefire and peace,” stressing that Pakistan will continue to engage with “all partners and brotherly nations” for an enduring resolution to the Palestinian issue.

Trump urges Israel to halt Gaza bombardment as Hamas signals openness to peace

Trump said Hamas’ response showed the group was “ready for lasting PEACE,” adding that the onus was now on Israel to de-escalate. “Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the hostages out safely and quickly,” he wrote on Truth Social. “This is not about Gaza alone — this is about long sought PEACE in the Middle East.”

However, thorny issues remain unresolved. Hamas did not commit to disarmament or to the staged Israeli withdrawal envisioned in Trump’s plan, insisting instead on a full and immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces. A senior Hamas official told Al Jazeera the group would not disarm before “the end of the occupation.”

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Trump’s proposal, unveiled earlier this week, calls for an immediate ceasefire, a complete exchange of hostages and prisoners, a phased Israeli pullout, Hamas’ disarmament, and the establishment of a transitional administration in Gaza led by an international body.

Netanyahu’s office said Israel would continue to coordinate “in full cooperation with the President and his team” to end the conflict “in accordance with the principles set out by Israel, which align with President Trump’s vision.”

Despite those assurances, residents described heavy bombardment in central Gaza after Trump’s appeal. Tanks reportedly shelled Talateeni Street in Gaza City, while airstrikes hit several homes in the Remal neighbourhood.

The war, now in its second year, began after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, assault on Israel, which left some 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage. Israel’s subsequent offensive has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to Gaza health authorities. The campaign has levelled much of the enclave and triggered famine conditions, drawing global condemnation and genocide findings from UN investigators — allegations Israel denies.

Hamas’ statement also expressed willingness to “hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of independents” supported by Arab and Islamic states, though it did not clarify whether it would forgo political power in Gaza.

Qatar said it had begun coordinating with Egypt and the United States to continue mediation on the Trump plan. Earlier on Friday, Trump had warned that “all HELL” would break loose if Hamas failed to accept the deal by Sunday.