U.S. President Donald Trump, in a statement posted to Truth Social at approximately 9:45 PM UTC on October 3rd, 2025, called for an immediate cessation of bombings in Gaza to facilitate the safe and swift release of hostages, citing ongoing discussions about the details of a long-term peace in the Middle East. Trump stated, "Based on the just published statement by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a long peace. Israel must immediately stop the bombings on Gaza, so that we can take the hostages in peace and quickly! Right now it's too dangerous to do. We are already in discussions about details that need to be regulated." This development follows Hamas's updated response to the peace plan, which the group indicated was a conditional acceptance, and comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed surprise at Trump's public statement. According to an Israeli senior, Netanyahu emphasized in consultations that Hamas's response was seen as a refusal of the Trump program, and stressed the need for American coordination on their response to ensure any permanent ceasefire is positively received by Hamas. However, the same Israeli senior noted that the professional echelon dealing with kidnappings viewed Hamas's response positively, opening a path to a transaction. The State of Qatar welcomed Hamas's announcement of agreement to President Trump's plan and its readiness to release hostages, affirming support for Trump's call for an immediate ceasefire to end bloodshed in Gaza. Qatar and Egypt, in coordination with the United States, have begun working to continue discussions on the plan to end the war, as announced via X by Majed Al-Ansari. Separately, Al-Hadath reported that the Israeli opposition leader stated Washington has informed Netanyahu of its willingness to support the continuation of the Gaza deal. Previous reports indicated that Hamas's response, received by President Trump between 8:37 PM and 9:06 PM UTC, agreed in principle to hostage release and handing over Gaza's administration to a Palestinian body, but did not immediately accept disarmament demands. Senator Lindsey Graham characterized Hamas's modifications as a "classic 'Yes, but,'" noting their refusal to agree to disarmament and their insistence on keeping Gaza under Palestinian control. Hamas officials had previously stated that the plan can be resolved through negotiation and rejected foreign forces entering Palestinian land.
