Trump Tells Israel to Halt Gaza Bombing After Hamas Agrees to Release Hostages

📷REUTERS

Riyadh, October 4, 2025 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday told Israel to immediately stop bombing Gaza after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept parts of a U.S. plan to end the war, though key issues such as disarmament remained unresolved.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel was preparing for the “immediate implementation” of the first stage of Trump’s Gaza plan following Hamas’ response. Israeli media later reported that political leaders had instructed the military to reduce offensive activity in Gaza.

Trump said he believed Hamas had shown it was “ready for a lasting peace” and urged Netanyahu’s government to halt its assault.

“Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the hostages out safely and quickly,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This is not about Gaza alone, this is about long-sought peace in the Middle East.”

Hostage and Ceasefire Provisions

Trump’s plan specifies an immediate ceasefire, the exchange of all hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, a staged Israeli withdrawal, the disarmament of Hamas, and the creation of a transitional international-led administration for Gaza.

In its response, Hamas said it approved releasing all prisoners — living and remains — under Trump’s proposal and expressed readiness to hand over administration of Gaza to a Palestinian technocratic body backed by Arab and Islamic support. However, the group did not explicitly accept disarmament or staged Israeli withdrawal, conditions it has previously rejected.

Continued Strikes and Reactions

Residents reported Israeli tank and air bombardments in Gaza City and Khan Younis shortly after Trump’s announcement, though no casualties were confirmed. The Israeli military chief of staff instructed forces to prepare for the plan’s implementation without mentioning a reduction in activity.

Families of Israeli hostages urged Netanyahu to “immediately order negotiations” for their release. Domestically, the prime minister faces pressure from both hostage families and far-right coalition members demanding continued military operations.

The war began after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and led to 251 hostages being taken, according to Israeli figures. Israel says 48 hostages remain, 20 of them alive. Gaza health authorities report more than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed since, most of them civilians, with widespread destruction and famine conditions across the enclave.

A U.N. Commission of Inquiry and human rights experts have concluded that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, a charge Netanyahu’s government denies, saying it is acting in self-defense.

Mediation and Next Steps

Qatar said it had begun coordination with Egypt and the United States to continue talks on Trump’s plan. A senior Hamas official told Al Jazeera the group would not disarm before Israel’s occupation of Gaza ends, highlighting unresolved differences.

Trump, who gave Hamas a Sunday deadline to accept the proposal or face “grave consequences,” said discussions on details were already underway. Netanyahu’s office confirmed Israel would continue to cooperate with Trump’s administration “to end the war in accordance with the principles set out by Israel, which align with President Trump’s vision.”