🔗 Share this article

The Palestinian faction agreeing to release the outstanding hostages, although dependent on talks and certain conditions being fulfilled, will give real optimism to the relatives in Israel who have been eagerly waiting for this type of development for a considerable period

In its official communication responding to the US ceasefire initiative, the group agreed to "free all Israel's prisoners, both living and deceased, according to the swap arrangement contained in the US President's plan, on condition the field circumstances for the exchange are satisfied"

That framework, outlined by Trump at the White House in recent days, proposes an swift end to the fighting and the handover within three days of all living Israeli captives detained by Hamas – as well as the bodies of hostages believed to be dead – in exchange for a large number of detained Palestinians

There are believed to be 48 captives still being kept in the Palestinian territory by the armed group, only twenty of whom are considered to be alive

• Follow live updates
• Hamas states it agrees to free detainees but requests changes to peace plan
• Expert review: Momentum is the key advantage of Trump's Gaza conflict plan

The endorsement by the faction of an additional essential element of the US ceasefire proposal, the idea of transferring the governance of the Gaza Strip to local technocrats, is also clearly noteworthy

But there are plenty of other aspects of the lengthy, twenty-part proposal that are conspicuous by their omission

The most notable of these is the stipulation that Hamas lay down its arms

"This is a major day", the President remarked of Hamas response to peace deal

The Israeli government will now be poring over the wording of the announcement to determine the true intent

It will have to determine whether it sees this as a sincere good faith approval of some of the central provisions of the agreement, or merely an attempt to delay and reopen long drawn out discussions

Considering that it came just a short time after President Donald Trump delivered his last ultimatum for Hamas to comply by the weekend deadline or face "serious consequences", some officials of the Israeli premier's cabinet are likely to be highly sceptical

That is especially the case now the American leader has called on Israel to immediately halt the bombing of Gaza

"Based on the Statement just released by the organization, I am convinced they are ready for a enduring PEACE", President Trump said shortly after the group's statement was published

"The Israeli government must immediately stop the military strikes of the region, so that we can get the Hostages out without harm and swiftly", he added. "Right now, it's extremely risky to do that"

The Israeli officials will not like the final section of his statement implying that the faction would keep a participation in negotiations over the long term future of the coastal enclave

The Hamas statement is important, no doubt. In a video message broadcast on Friday evening, Trump said it was a "big day" and thanked a series of nations which he said had assisted him put the proposal forward

But there is still a substantial deal of specifics to be worked through before a truce in the region becomes remotely close to a certainty. And the president appeared to acknowledge this was far from a final agreement

"It remains to be seen how it all turns out", he commented. "We have to finalize the final word in place and concrete"