The HAMAS movement has responded positively to US President Donald Trump's initiative to stop the war in the Gaza Strip.
Modern.az reports that Qatar's “Al Jazeera” TV channel disseminated information about this.
It is reported that HAMAS submitted an official document to the mediators and assessed Trump's peace plan as “generally positive”.
Qatar's “Al-Arabi” channel, however, stated that the document requires further clarification on some points. It was particularly noted that the handover of all Israeli hostages, as well as the bodies of those killed, within 72 hours is not realistic. HAMAS also stated that it is not ready to renounce defensive weapons. “Our main goal is to stop the war and mass killings,” the HAMAS statement emphasized.
Shortly after HAMAS's response, US President Donald Trump posted on his social media account, calling on Israel to immediately stop the bombings. “Israel must immediately stop bombing Gaza so that we can safely and quickly free the hostages. It is currently very dangerous to do so. We are already discussing the details. This is not just about Gaza, it is about the long-awaited peace in the Middle East,” Trump noted.
Musa Abu-Marzouk, Deputy Head of HAMAS's political bureau, also stated in his speech that the organization has agreed to release all living hostages, hand over the bodies of those killed, and transfer the administration of Gaza to a Palestinian committee. According to him, the movement considers Trump's initiative an “important humanitarian and political step”.
The plan presented by the US on September 29 envisages the implementation of temporary foreign administration in Gaza, the phased withdrawal of the Israeli army, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, as well as the formation of a new Palestinian committee in the region. The plan was immediately supported by Israel and a number of Western countries. HAMAS, however, had been discussing the plan until now, and Trump had set a deadline for the movement to decide by the end of the week.
Egypt's “Al Qahera News” channel reports that initial preparations for the exchange of hostages and prisoners have already begun. According to the TV channel, a dialogue between Palestinian factions regarding the future of Gaza, mediated by Egyptian diplomats, is also on the agenda.
Israel's army radio “Galei Tzahal” notes that the Israeli government has ordered to stop the operation to take control of Gaza City and to minimize its activities in the strip.
"Following an assessment of the situation and discussions with US representatives, the leadership has instructed the Israel Defense Forces to minimize its activities in Gaza and conduct only defensive operations in the Strip," the radio station reported.
Elnur Amirov
