U.S. President Donald Trump on the 3rd (local time) called on Israel to halt its bombing of the Gaza Strip. The move is seen as influenced by the fact that Hamas, the Palestinian armed faction, showed a positive response to some provisions of his "Gaza Strip peace initiative," including the release of all hostages.
On this day, President Trump said on his social media (SNS) Truth Social, "Based on the statement Hamas just released, I believe they are ready for lasting peace." He added, "Israel must immediately stop the bombing of the Gaza Strip. That is how we can get the hostages out safely and quickly."
The remarks are seen as following Hamas' statement that it would accept parts of Trump's plan, including the release of all hostages and relinquishing power in the Gaza Strip. President Trump added, "We are already discussing the details," and "This is about the peace that has long been desired in the Middle East."
Later, in a video message, President Trump expressed his gratitude to Qatar, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan for mediating the negotiations, saying, "We must obtain a final agreement that will not be changed." Saying that both surviving hostages and the bodies of those who died must be returned to their parents, he called it "a very special and perhaps unprecedented day."
However, Hamas hinted at further consultations on other parts of Trump's plan, such as disarmament, saying "a unified national stance is needed," and said it would not disarm before Israel's occupation of the Gaza Strip ends.
Hamas' response came just a few hours after President Trump set 6 p.m. on the 5th Eastern Time in the United States (7 a.m. on the 6th Korea time) as the deadline for a final agreement and warned, "If you miss this last chance to reach an agreement, a hell that no one has ever seen will unfold before Hamas."