When news reached Washington late Friday that Hamas had finally replied to President Donald Trump’s 20-point proposal for ending the Gaza war, the White House moved quickly. Officials rushed to share the militant group’s statement online — even briefly misattributing it to Trump himself.
Although Hamas stopped short of fully endorsing every element of Trump’s peace blueprint — notably rejecting calls to disarm and withdraw from Gaza’s future governance — the president seized on the positives. The group’s pledge to release all remaining hostages from the October 7, 2023 terror attacks was enough for Trump to declare momentum toward peace.
After months of deadlock, he treated the partial acceptance as a turning point. His response, issued within an hour of Hamas’ six-paragraph statement, effectively boxed in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had been under pressure from Washington all week to embrace the plan.
Trump: “They Are Ready for a Lasting Peace”
“Based on the Statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, calling for Israel to immediately stop the bombing of Gaza so hostages could be freed “safely and quickly.”
Early Saturday, Netanyahu’s office released a cautious statement:
“Israel is preparing to immediately implement the first phase of President Trump’s plan for the release of all hostages,” it said, pledging to cooperate with Washington “in accordance with the principles set forth by Israel that are consistent with President Trump’s vision.”
Later that evening, Trump appeared in a video message calling it a “big day” and “unprecedented,” declaring that “everybody was unified in wanting this war to end and seeing peace in the Middle East.”
Yet the coordination between Washington and Jerusalem seemed uncertain. No phone call between Trump and Netanyahu was announced, and Trump notably thanked Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan for helping mediate — while omitting Netanyahu’s name entirely.
Trump’s Message Forces Israel’s Hand
For months, Trump had publicly pressed Hamas to accept his proposal, even issuing a Sunday-night ultimatum warning that refusal would bring “all hell” to Gaza. But once Hamas replied, Trump flipped the pressure back on Israel — marking the first time he directly urged the country to halt its campaign.
Israeli officials, speaking to CNN, said the announcement caught Netanyahu off guard twice — first when Trump celebrated Hamas’ reply, and again when he ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza City. Israeli forces had planned to continue airstrikes while talks progressed, but Trump’s declaration left them little room to maneuver.
Neither the prime minister’s office nor the Israel Defense Forces offered a timetable for hostages’ release. Still, officials confirmed preparations for a negotiating team to finalize the ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and longtime Middle East adviser, were dispatched to Egypt to negotiate the hostage-exchange details and remaining steps in the peace plan.
“Initial Withdrawal Line” and the Path to Ceasefire
By Saturday afternoon, Trump announced progress: Israel had agreed to an “initial withdrawal line,” which he said had been shared with Hamas.
“When Hamas confirms, the ceasefire will be immediately effective, the hostages and prisoner exchange will begin, and we’ll create the conditions for the next phase of withdrawal — bringing us closer to ending this 3,000-year catastrophe,” he posted on Truth Social.
But not everyone shared his optimism. Senator Lindsey Graham, a loyal Trump ally, called Hamas’ response a “classic ‘Yes, but’” — noting the group refused to disarm, retained control of Gaza, and linked hostage release to further talks. “In essence, this is a rejection of President Trump’s ‘take it or leave it’ proposal,” he wrote on X.
Trump, however, portrayed the response as a positive milestone, saying in his Oval Office video, “We’ll see how it all turns out. We have to get the final word down in concrete.”
Behind the Scenes: Deadlines, Delays, and Diplomatic Strain
Hamas’ five-day delay frustrated Washington. During a Wednesday call with Qatar’s Emir, Trump inquired about progress and was told that internal communication problems and disagreements within Hamas’ leadership were causing delays.
Impatient, Trump issued his ultimatum Friday morning, hoping to force a response before the weekend. When it arrived, he could have treated it as rejection — paving the way for Israel to intensify attacks — but instead chose diplomacy, pushing Netanyahu into an awkward position: accept the partial reply or risk alienating his most powerful ally.
Tensions between the two leaders had been simmering since Trump’s return to office in January. Their calls had grown increasingly combative, with Trump objecting to Israel’s prolonged campaign and regional escalations that he feared could derail his Nobel Peace Prize ambitions.
Among Trump’s conservative base, frustration with Israel’s Gaza offensive was also mounting. Figures such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene have even accused Israel of “genocide,” highlighting how politically delicate Trump’s balancing act has become.
From Strikes to Strategy: How the Plan Emerged
Trump’s peace plan took shape after Israeli airstrikes in Qatar last month targeting Hamas leaders. The attack — condemned across the Arab world — enraged Trump, who complained the U.S. had been given no warning and believed the strike jeopardized fragile negotiations.
That incident spurred Trump’s advisers to design the 20-point peace framework unveiled earlier this week. Working from New York, Witkoff and Kushner persuaded Netanyahu to sign on after hours of discussion and wording changes. Some edits unsettled Arab states already briefed on the plan, but the White House published the text Monday while Trump and Netanyahu met in the Oval Office, putting Hamas on notice to respond.
During that meeting, Trump held his phone as Netanyahu called Qatar’s prime minister to apologize for the Doha strike — a gesture seen as critical to keeping Arab mediators engaged.
What Comes Next
Trump’s gamble may have bought him a short-term diplomatic win but left Israel cornered. If Hamas follows through on releasing hostages, the ceasefire could mark a major shift in Middle East politics — one that Trump would surely claim as validation of his approach.
Yet analysts warn that the path ahead remains uncertain: Hamas has not agreed to disarm, Netanyahu faces backlash at home, and Arab nations remain cautious.
For now, Trump’s move has reframed the conflict — transforming what looked like a deadlocked war into a high-stakes political moment that tests both his diplomatic instincts and his global influence.