Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to US President Donald Trump's statement last night, which called on Israel to stop its attacks on Gaza, saying that Hamas' response to his plan shows that it is "ready for peace."
A senior Israeli official has told Israeli Channel 12 News that the hostages could be free within a few days if the talks in Cairo aimed at finalising the details of Hamas's release of hostages proceed without any problems.
The peace plan, unveiled by the White House on Monday following a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, aims to bring an end to the two-year-old Gaza conflict.
The UN Secretary-General welcomed and is encouraged by the statement issued by Hamas announcing its readiness to release hostages and to engage on the basis of the recent proposal by US President Donald J. Trump.
In a statement, Netanyahu's office said, "We will continue to work in full cooperation with the President and his team in order to bring the war to an end in accordance with the principles set forth by Israel, which are consistent with President Trump's vision."
US President Donald Trump thanked world leaders for their support in bringing an end to the Gaza conflict and said that he looks forward to seeing the hostages return home, acknowledging that some may be in critical condition.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday welcomed the progress in peace efforts in Gaza and called the indications of the release of hostages a significant step forward.
Trump mentioned that the issue is not about peace in Gaza alone but in the whole Middle East region. He further said that Israel should stop its attacks in Gaza so that it can quickly release its hostages.
Hamas on Friday (local time) agreed to release all Israeli hostages, whether dead or alive, in response to the 20-point Gaza peace plan introduced by US President Donald Trump earlier this week.
President Donald Trump warned Hamas is "militarily trapped" and offered a last-chance peace deal backed by regional powers, demanding immediate release of hostages and urging civilians to move to safer areas. He set a Sunday 6 PM Washington deadline and threatened unprecedented retaliatio