In a U.S.-brokered peace efforts, Israel has formally accepted President Donald Trump’s comprehensive proposal for a prisoner swap with Hamas, paving the way for the potential release of all remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
The announcement comes just hours after Hamas signaled its partial readiness to hostages– both living and deceased – in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, marking a rare moment of alignment in the protracted 18-month war that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed the decision in a terse statement early Saturday, describing the move as a “strategic step toward securing our citizens’ safe return while upholding Israel’s security imperatives.” The endorsement aligns Jerusalem with key elements of Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, unveiled on September 29, which demands an immediate ceasefire, Hamas disarmament, and a transitional technocratic government for the enclave. Netanyahu, who had previously expressed reservations about aspects like Palestinian statehood pathways, emphasized that the deal includes ironclad guarantees for the destruction of Hamas’s military infrastructure, including tunnels and rocket stockpiles.
Hamas, the Palestinian militant group controlling Gaza, broke its silence on the proposal late Friday with a cautiously optimistic response. In a statement released via its Al-Qassam Brigades media arm, the group declared: “The movement announces its agreement to release all Israeli prisoners, both living and dead, according to the exchange formula contained in President Trump’s proposal, provided the field conditions for the exchange are met.” This pledge covers the 48 hostages still unaccounted for – 20 believed alive – seized during the October 7, 2023, attacks that ignited the current conflict. In return, Hamas demands the release of 250 Palestinians serving life sentences in Israeli prisons, plus 1,700 others detained since the war’s outset, including women and children.
The proposal, endorsed by Arab mediators Qatar and Egypt as well as the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, envisions a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, full humanitarian aid influx, and international oversight for reconstruction. European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, have called for “immediate follow-through,” while the U.N. praised it as the “broadest global support” for any ceasefire bid to date.
