U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday demanded that Israel immediately halt its bombing of Gaza after expressing unexpected satisfaction with a Hamas response to his proposed peace plan.
Earlier that same day, Trump had issued Hamas a Sunday deadline to release all hostages, “dead or alive.” Within hours, Hamas released a statement offering to free all prisoners, but rejected key provisions of Trump’s 21-point peace framework — including the establishment of a non-Palestinian governing body in Gaza and full disarmament of Hamas. Instead, the group reaffirmed its previous willingness to turn administration over to a technocratic Palestinian authority while retaining its weapons.
Despite what many observers saw as a rejection, Trump declared Hamas’s response a step toward peace. Posting to Truth Social, Trump wrote:
“Based on the Statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE. Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly! Right now, it’s far too dangerous to do that. We are already in discussions on details to be worked out. This is not about Gaza alone, this is about long sought PEACE in the Middle East.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reportedly stunned by Trump’s reversal, with officials expecting the White House to dismiss Hamas’s statement outright. Senator Lindsey Graham, a key Trump ally, also misread the moment, posting on X that Hamas’s reply amounted to a rejection of Trump’s “take it or leave it” deal.
Yet within hours of Trump’s post — and before his Oval Office speech — Israel launched an expanded bombing campaign across Gaza, a move widely seen as a defiant signal to Washington.
Analysts note that Israel’s military actions could risk a direct confrontation with Trump, especially given the heavy influence of hardliners like Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich within Netanyahu’s coalition. Arab media outlets further reported that Netanyahu himself had modified Trump’s peace plan before its public release, raising doubts about whether the proposal represents Washington’s maximum offer — or Israel’s.
For now, Trump’s move injects fresh uncertainty into an already volatile situation, with both Hamas and Israel appearing unlikely to compromise on core demands, despite the president’s push to frame the moment as a breakthrough toward “long sought PEACE.”