Gaza ceasefire within sight… Trump "Seems prepared for permanent peace"

The Palestinian militant group Hamas has agreed to accept part of U.S. President Donald Trump's Gaza Strip peace plan, drawing attention to whether the nearly two-year-long war in the Gaza Strip will end.

According to Reuters and others, Hamas said in a statement on the 3rd (local time) that 'it will release all hostages, including survivors and remains, in accordance with President Trump's proposal,' and that 'it is ready to immediately enter negotiations through mediators to discuss the details.'

Two hours after the statement, President Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social that 'Israel must immediately stop bombing the Gaza Strip,' saying attacks should cease for the safe return of the hostages.

On Trump's request that Hamas discuss the details of the hostage release, he said 'we are already discussing the details' and added 'I believe they are preparing for lasting peace.'

Earlier this year Israel and Hamas agreed on a ceasefire and exchanges of hostages and detainees, raising hopes that tensions in the Middle East would ease, but the ceasefire collapsed when Israel launched a large-scale attack on the Gaza Strip.

Moreover, Israel attacked as far as Doha, Qatar, to kill senior Hamas leaders involved in the ceasefire negotiations last month and even launched a ground operation to occupy Gaza City, causing Arab and Muslim countries in the Middle East to turn against Israel. Trump himself criticized Israel's attack on Qatar and sought to defuse the situation, and it was reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also called Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to apologize for the attack.

President Trump announced his Gaza Strip peace plan on the 29th of last month (local time). The plan, announced together with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, included demands that Hamas release all Israeli hostages and disarm.

Trump said he would officially support Israel's campaign to annihilate Hamas if Israel did not return all hostages within 72 hours of accepting the agreement. He warned, 'If the last chance is missed, a hell the world has never seen will unfold before Hamas,' and later set a deadline of 6 PM Eastern Time on the 5th (7 AM Korea Time on the 6th).

However, Hamas accepted only the hostage release among the 20 items in Trump's Gaza peace plan, which included surrendering administrative control of the Gaza Strip. Hardliners within Hamas are reportedly maintaining that they cannot accept the demand to disarm.

Israel's position is seen as the biggest variable for a Gaza ceasefire. Observers say that if Hamas's statement is interpreted as releasing hostages but refusing to disarm, Israel is likely to strongly oppose it.

Israel, led by Prime Minister Netanyahu, has not yet taken a position regarding Hamas's counterproposal to Trump's ultimatum. However, senior member of Hamas's political bureau Mousa Abu Marzouk told Al Jazeera in an interview that 'If Israel's occupation ends and Palestine can self-govern, Hamas can give up all weapons.'

President Trump has recently often shown his desire for the Nobel Peace Prize, and many observers say that the Gaza peace plan is not unrelated to that. If Trump brings peace to the Middle East, he is expected to be one step closer to the Nobel Peace Prize he has long sought.

Soyeon Kim, Hankyung.com reporter sue123@hankyung.com