The Israeli Haaretz journalist and researcher Jonathan Lis revealed that U.S. President Donald Trump intends to intensify pressure on both Hamas and Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to push them toward reaching a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement, following Hamas’s response to his plan to end the war.
According to Israeli political sources cited by Lis, Trump chose to continue promoting his political initiative rather than let the talks collapse. Israel, for its part, is preparing to resume indirect negotiations with Hamas in the coming days, based on the exchange of responses.
The report noted that Trump’s latest announcement—calling for “an immediate halt to the bombing of Gaza so that the hostages can be released safely and quickly”—prompted the Israeli government to hold urgent consultations, which ended with military instructions to stop offensive operations and limit activity to defensive measures. In Israel, this move was seen as a direct response to U.S. pressure.
Israeli political leaders are currently working to formulate a unified official position on unresolved points in Trump’s plan, such as the number and identity of Palestinian prisoners to be released, arrangements for disarming Gaza, and whether Hamas fighters will be allowed to keep personal weapons. Discussions are also underway regarding Israeli troop withdrawal locations in Gaza for each stage of the three-phase plan, along with a timeline for implementation.
The report added that Israel’s negotiating team, recently restructured, is preparing for a new round of talks, likely to be held in Egypt.
Hamas’s Response
For its part, Hamas released its official reply to Trump’s plan, declaring its readiness to free all Israeli captives in Gaza, both alive and dead, as part of a comprehensive deal to end the war, with immediate negotiations on implementation details.
However, the movement expressed reservations over certain clauses, particularly those concerning Gaza’s governance. Hamas favored transferring administration to an independent Palestinian body rather than the “Palestinian committee” proposed in the plan, which would be managed by an international authority headed by Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Hamas also stressed that issues relating to “the future of Gaza and the rights of the Palestinian people” should be addressed within a national framework representing all Palestinian factions.
In response, Trump said that “talks are ongoing over the details of the agreement,” stressing that the issue is “not just about Gaza, but about peace in the entire Middle East.” In a video message, he described it as “a great day,” noting that peace was near, and thanked Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey for their mediation efforts.
