Donald Trump
Source: Africa Publicity
US President, Donald Trump, has ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza immediately. His directive came after Hamas agreed on Friday, October 3, 2025, to free all remaining Israeli hostages dead or alive.
Nearly three days to the October 7 attacks in which Hamas took some Israelis, Americans and Thai citizens hostage, the Palestinian group agreed to a peace deal, promising to release the remaining Israeli hostages reportedly including 20 living hostages still being held in Gaza and those who have passed away since their abduction on October 7.
Trump says in a post on Truth Social that “based on statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting peace.”
He added “Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly! Right now, it’s far too dangerous to do that. We are already in discussions on details to be worked out. This is not about Gaza alone, this is about long sought peace in the Middle East.”
Hamas, in a statement Friday, says it has agreed to parts of the ceasefire deal that President Trump outlined earlier this week, including a demand to release all hostages. The group however suggested other parts of the deal should be subject to negotiation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to the deal on Monday.
Earlier Friday, President Trump gave Hamas until Sunday evening to accept the deal, or “all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas.”
After Hamas released its statement, the US President wrote on Truth Social that he believes the group is “ready for a lasting PEACE”, asking Israel to cease hostilities in the Gaza Strip.
A statement released by the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu’s office early Saturday morning local time read “In light of Hamas’s response, Israel is preparing to immediately implement the first phase of Trump’s plan for the immediate release of all hostages.”
It says “We will continue to work in full cooperation with the President and his team to end the war in accordance with the principles set forth by Israel that are consistent with President Trump’s vision.”
Hamas in its statement that it is willing to release all living hostages and the remains of deceased hostages “in accordance with the exchange formula set forth in President Trump’s proposal.” The proposal laid out by the White House called for Hamas to release all hostages taken on Oct. 7, 2023, within 72 hours, and for Israel to release 250 Palestinians serving life sentences and 1,700 other Gazans who were detained following the start of the conflict.
The deal also called for an immediate end to fighting if both sides accept the deal, and for Israel’s military to withdraw to an “agreed upon line.”
Furthermore, Hamas noted that it is willing to “hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of independents (technocrats), based on Palestinian national consensus and with the support of Arab and Islamic parties” — another portion of Mr. Trump’s proposal.
