Hamas said Friday it will release all remaining hostages if Israel withdraws from Gaza and “proper field conditions are met.”
Hamas said Friday it will release all remaining hostages if Israel withdraws from Gaza and “proper field conditions are met.”
Hamas agreed to the proposed ceasefire deal, but asked for more negotiations.
Hamas responded Friday to President Donald Trump’s proposal for peace in Gaza, as the president gave a deadline of 6 p.m. ET Sunday to sign on to the plan he unveiled earlier this week.
Hamas said it will release all remaining hostages if Israel withdraws from Gaza and “proper field conditions are met.” More negotiations will need to take place to finalize the deal, which Trump unveiled Monday while hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.
Any agreement could mean an end to the Israel Defense Forces’ operation to take control of Gaza City, the largest urban area in the Gaza Strip.
Multiple Western nations recognized Palestinian statehood in recent weeks while also demanding that Hamas not be part of any future government.
Netanyahu said that Israel will not allow an independent Palestinian state to exist.
Key Headlines
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Oct 04, 2025, 6:32 PM EDT
Netanyahu strikes victorious tone, says Israel ‘on the verge of a great achievement’
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Oct 04, 2025, 12:25 PM EDT
Trump tells Hamas ‘move quickly, or else all bets will be off’
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Oct 04, 2025, 7:23 AM EDT
IDF offensive pause to allow Hamas to organize hostage release, official says
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Oct 04, 2025, 3:56 AM EDT
Netanyahu orders halt to all offensive operations in Gaza, sources say
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Oct 03, 2025, 8:25 PM EDT
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Oct 03, 2025, 8:05 PM EDT
Here’s how the news is developing.
Oct 04, 2025, 6:32 PM EDT
Netanyahu strikes victorious tone, says Israel ‘on the verge of a great achievement’
In a televised statement Saturday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu struck a victorious tone, saying Israel is “on the verge of a very great achievement” and that he hopes “in the coming days” he can announce “the return of all our hostages, both living and dead, in one fell swoop, while the IDF remains deep in the Gaza Strip.”
Netanyahu said, “In the first phase, Hamas will release all of our hostages, and IDF forces will redeploy in such a way that the IDF will continue to hold all of the territories it controls deep inside the Strip.”
Netanyahu says “our intention and that of our American friends is to conclude these negotiations in a few days,” and that “very soon” there would be the liberation of all our hostages without a full withdrawal from the Strip.”
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller
Oct 04, 2025, 4:39 PM EDT
Trump says Israel agrees to initial withdrawal line in peace deal; waiting for Hamas response
President Donald Trump said Israel has agreed to the initial withdrawal line for the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza that was laid out under the peace proposal announced earlier this week.
“When Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective, the Hostages and Prisoner Exchange will begin, and we will create the conditions for the next phase of withdrawal,” Trump said in a post on his social media platform.
-ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa
Oct 04, 2025, 12:25 PM EDT
Trump tells Hamas ‘move quickly, or else all bets will be off’
President Donald Trump issued another warning on Saturday, telling Hamas it must move quickly to release the hostages “or else all bets will be off” as the Israeli bombardment on Gaza is scaled back.
“Hamas must move quickly, or else all bets will be off. I will not tolerate delay, which many think will happen, or any outcome where Gaza poses a threat again. Let’s get this done, FAST. Everyone will be treated fairly!” Trump wrote in a post on social media.
Trump’s threat comes as his U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are traveling to Egypt this weekend to finalize technical details of a Gaza peace deal.
They will be part of the U.S. mediating team in Egypt for the latest round of indirect Israel-Hamas negotiations, which are expected to begin tomorrow, according to a White House official.
-ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa and Selina Wang
Oct 04, 2025, 7:23 AM EDT
IDF offensive pause to allow Hamas to organize hostage release, official says
A senior Israeli official told ABC News on Saturday that the halt in the Israel Defense Force’s offensive activity in the Gaza Strip is intended to allow Hamas to begin organizing for the release of the hostages.
The official said this does not represent an official ceasefire that requires Hamas to return the hostages within three days, nor the beginning of a withdrawal. The official said the IDF may make tactical adjustments for the purpose of protecting its troops.
The official added that Israel is constantly examining what is happening on the ground and will not allow Hamas to take advantage of any pause in operations, carry out last-minute attacks or to strengthen their grip on the ground.
Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas will begin on Sunday in Egypt, Israeli officials told ABC News. One official said the talks will show whether Hamas is bluffing or is ready to accept the ceasefire proposed by President Donald Trump.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and Morgan Winsor
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