US media: Hamas signals readiness to accept Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan

Hamas appears inclined to accept President Trump’s ceasefire plan for Gaza, with the group set to present its response to Egyptian and Qatari mediators on October 1, a source close to the talks told CBS News.

The 20-point proposal, unveiled by Trump alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on September 29, outlines a rapid ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages and certain Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, expanded humanitarian aid, and the eventual transfer of Gaza’s governance to an interim administration of Palestinian technocrats under an international “Board of Peace” chaired by Trump.

According to the plan, “within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.” Netanyahu appeared to publicly endorse the agreement alongside Trump on September 29. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is also slated to serve on the Board of Peace, while Israel would maintain security control around Gaza’s perimeter. Netanyahu indicated on Monday that Israeli forces would remain “in most parts of the Strip” until the hostages are fully released.

A diplomatic source familiar with the talks told CBS News that Hamas representatives had received a copy of the proposal from an Egyptian official and the Qatari prime minister.

The Palestinian Authority, which partially administers the West Bank, issued a statement backing the plan via its WAFA news agency. The PA emphasised “the importance of the partnership with the United States in achieving peace in the region” and reaffirmed commitments to reforms, including “holding Presidential and Parliamentary elections within one year after the end of the war.”

“We have affirmed that we desire a modern, democratic, non-militarised Palestinian state that is committed to pluralism and the peaceful transfer of power,” the PA statement added.

While Trump’s plan does not assign the PA an immediate role in post-war Gaza administration, it notes that the organisation could eventually “securely and effectively take back control of Gaza” after implementing specified reforms.

Several Muslim-majority nations quickly voiced support for the proposal. Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar issued a joint statement praising Trump’s “sincere efforts to end the war in Gaza” and expressing confidence in his ability to chart a path to peace.

The statement emphasised the importance of the U.S. partnership in achieving regional peace, welcomed Trump’s plan to end the conflict, rebuild Gaza, prevent Palestinian displacement, and promote comprehensive peace, and noted his assurance that the West Bank would not be annexed.

European Council President Antonio Costa told BBC News that he was “encouraged by Prime Minister Netanyahu's positive response” to the U.S. plan and called on all parties to seize the opportunity to give peace a real chance.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk also welcomed the initiative, stating it “brings us to a ceasefire, to the release of hostages, to an end to the carnage and incredible suffering, and provides a pathway for peace.”

Voices from Gaza reflected a mix of cautious hope and scepticism. One resident of Deir al Balah, displaced 14 times during the conflict, told CBS News, “Anyone can govern Gaza, but we don't want another war like the one from October 7. And we don't want the Israeli army to enter our homes like what happened in 1948. Trump's proposal doesn't matter. Trump is Israel. The U.S. is with Israel. Israel is America. The Arab states all conspired against us, and America is Israel.”

Another resident said, “Anything that ends the bloodshed and the fighting is good. Anything that will end the slaughter that we are going through.”

When asked if he would accept a peace deal that postponed the creation of an independent Palestinian state, he replied, “Everything, all of that will be solved afterwards, after our situation is stabilised, and that can all be solved later on. We are very optimistic in God.”

By Tamilla Hasanova