GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP—A collective, disbelieving gasp swept across the region late Friday as U.S. President Donald Trump, in an abrupt diplomatic pivot, publicly welcomed Hamas’s partial acceptance of his 20-point Gaza peace plan and—more stunningly—issued a direct order to a key ally: “Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza.”
The announcement, delivered via a post on his social media platform and followed by a video address, has set off a political earthquake in the Middle East, simultaneously injecting a fragile, unprecedented hope into the besieged Gaza Strip and leaving the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly “shocked.”
‘A Very Special Day’
Only hours after the expiration of President Trump’s ultimatum for Hamas to accept the comprehensive deal or “face all HELL,” the militant group submitted a response to mediators in Qatar and Egypt. While the statement stopped short of full, unconditional acceptance—notably demanding further negotiation on key issues like its disarmament and the staged Israeli withdrawal—it was the content of the concession that electrified the world.
Hamas agreed to one of the most immediate and emotionally charged demands of the plan: the release of all remaining Israeli hostages, alive and deceased, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
President Trump seized on this partial concession as a major breakthrough. “Based on the Statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE,” he wrote, calling the development a “very special day, maybe unprecedented.” The consequential nature of the US President’s reaction, a departure from his historically hardline stance against the group, was immediately clear. For the first time, an American President publicly told Israel to halt its military operations to facilitate a deal with the militant faction.
Netanyahu Left ‘Off Guard’
Sources close to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office, who had reportedly viewed the Hamas response as a rejection due to the non-negotiable points it sought to revisit, described being “surprised” by the White House’s full-throated embrace of the counter-offer.
Despite the apparent friction, Mr. Netanyahu’s office quickly issued a statement that, while conspicuously avoiding any mention of Trump’s order to stop the bombing, affirmed Israel was “preparing for the immediate implementation of the first stage of the Trump plan for the release of all the hostages.” This uneasy alignment signals the immense pressure both leaders face from the international community and the hostage families to bring the nearly two-year war to an end.
Jubilation and Fear in the Rubble
The most profound reaction, however, was felt in the Gaza Strip itself. News of Hamas’s acceptance of a hostage deal, coupled with a U.S. presidential call for an immediate ceasefire, brought displaced families in the tent cities to a fever pitch. In some areas, cries of “Allahu Akbar!” (God is the greatest) could be heard, a raw expression of relief that an end to the brutal campaign may be in sight.
A spokesman for Hamas, Taher al-Nunu, called President Trump’s call for a cessation of bombing “encouraging” and confirmed the group was ready to immediately enter negotiations.
Yet, even as glimmers of hope appeared, reports from Gaza Civil Defence officials confirmed that the overnight hours saw heavy Israeli artillery fire and airstrikes in Gaza City and elsewhere. Despite the American President’s direct order, the war machinery has yet to grind to a halt.
Palestinians on the ground remain in a state of shock, a mix of cautious jubilation over a potential ceasefire and deep-seated apprehension. The key sticking points—the fate of Hamas’s military arsenal and its role in a future Gaza administration—are profound, and no one in the enclave is under any illusion that peace is secured. The path ahead is fraught with the kind of volatile details that could yet shatter the most promising diplomatic window in years.
The world watches as the clock ticks, with a partial agreement on the table and the fate of the long-sought Middle East peace now hanging on the resolution of seemingly intractable disagreements. The Truce Tempest has begun, and its final direction is far from certain.