TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Senior Hamas official, Mousa Abu Marzouk, stated on Friday, as reported by Anadolu, that the Palestinian resistance group has agreed to the United States President Donald Trump's ceasefire proposal for Gaza "in principle." Marzouk said they support the main outline but stressed that its implementation will require negotiations.
Abu Marzouk emphasized in an interview with Qatar's Al Jazeera network that the group "would hand over its weapons to a future Palestinian state," and the fate of Palestinians is a "national matter that Hamas alone cannot decide."
The armed group provided its response to Trump's 20-point plan to stop the war, just hours after Trump gave them until Sunday, October 5, 2025, to respond to the proposal.
Trump's 20-point plan includes an immediate ceasefire, exchanging all 48 Israeli captives, of whom 20 are believed to be alive, with Palestinian prisoners, establishing a transitional government led by an international body, and disarmament of Hamas.
The group's response, which did not address the issue of disarmament, stated that they have agreed “to release all occupation captives – both living and the remains – according to the exchange formula outlined in President Trump’s proposal, with the provision of field conditions necessary for the exchange.”
Hamas added that it is ready to “immediately enter negotiations through mediators to discuss the details” of the exchange.
The group also stated their readiness to “hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of independents (technocrats) based on Palestinian national consensus and with Arab and Islamic support.”
The elements of the statement seem to indicate that Hamas, which has to relinquish power under Trump's plan, wants Gaza to be managed by Palestinians, rather than by the "Board of Peace" proposed by Trump. This is an international transitional governance body that would be overseen by Trump himself and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who has been accused by many of committing war crimes in Iraq during the 2003 period.
Signifying that further negotiations will be necessary, the statement states that aspects of the proposal affecting the “future of the Gaza Strip and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people” should be decided on the basis of a “unanimous national position and relevant international laws and resolutions”.
The statement comes after Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that if an agreement was not reached by Sunday, then “all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas.”
Then on Friday, Trump responded positively to the group's statement, writing on Truth Social that he is confident Hamas is “ready for a lasting PEACE” and calling on Israel to “immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly”.
“This is not about Gaza alone, this is about long sought PEACE in the Middle East,” said the President.
Window for Negotiation?
Al Jazeera's Ali Hashem stated that Hamas' statement opens a “window for negotiations.” “Within the coming 48 hours, there is a possibility for a lot of exchange,” he said.
Hashem stated that the group's skepticism of the “Board of Peace” proposal is because it “isolates Gaza from the whole Palestinian cause.”
“They [Hamas] do not want to see Gaza isolated from the bigger picture,” he said.
Trump's plan does not provide a path for reunification with the Israeli-occupied West Bank in the future to form a Palestinian state.
The armed group also said they appreciate “the Arab, Islamic, and international efforts, as well as those of US President Donald Trump” to resolve the conflict.
“Hamas showed a lot of positivity here by accepting the spirit of the paper and praising President Trump’s initiative. In this way, they are showing that they are ready to extend their hand,” said Hashem.
“However, they have reservations, they have some points that they want clarification over, and the ball now is in President Trump’s court.”
After the statement was released, senior Hamas official, Mousa Abu Marzouk, firmly stated that Hamas rejects the “Board of Peace”.
“We will never accept anyone who is not Palestinian to control the Palestinians,” he said, adding that Blair would be particularly unwelcome because of his role in the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq.
Mediators Welcome Statement
The Qatari Foreign Ministry, acting as a mediator, welcomed the group's response to Trump's plan. Spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said Qatar has begun working with its mediating partner, Egypt, and the United States, to continue discussions on the proposal.
Egypt stated that they expect "positive development" and will work with Arab countries, the US, and European countries to achieve a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed Hamas' response to the 20-point plan and urged the parties to “seize the opportunity to bring the tragic conflict in Gaza to an end,” according to spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
The group's response to the 20-point plan comes as Israel continues its genocidal war on Gaza, with reports that it used remote-controlled vehicles containing explosives to obliterate entire neighborhoods in the besieged City of Gaza after issuing an "last chance" demand for hundreds of thousands of trapped Palestinian residents to leave the city center.
More than 66,200 people, mostly women and children, have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 2023, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Editor’s Choice: Trump's Gaza Plan Finds Indonesia, Pakistan as Asian Backers
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
