Israel Accepts Trump's Gaza Plan; Hamas Responds

On October 4, President Donald Trump hailed a "historic" day after Israel accepted his 20‑point Gaza plan, developed with figures including Tony Blair, which calls for a ceasefire, phased Israeli withdrawal, hostage exchanges and a temporary technocratic Palestinian administration under international oversight. Hamas issued a formal, conditional response saying it was willing to release all Israeli hostages, alive and dead, in return for a full Israeli withdrawal and under unspecified "field conditions," while remaining cautious about disarmament and Gaza's long‑term governance. Israel said it was preparing to implement the first stage of the plan and the IDF announced a halt to operations to occupy Gaza City as part of operational adjustments. World leaders including India’s Narendra Modi, Qatar, Egypt and the United Nations welcomed the development, and Qatar, Egypt and Turkey were named as mediators. Observers warned Hamas’s statement was a qualified acceptance rather than an unequivocal one, and analysts said major issues — sequencing of disarmament, prisoner‑exchange formulas, governance arrangements and logistics — remain unresolved.