Global leaders hail Hamas response to Trump’s Gaza plan as ‘unprecedented step toward peace’
Governments around the world have welcomed Hamas’s announcement that it accepts key elements of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza
(MNTV) — Governments around the world have welcomed Hamas’s announcement that it accepts key elements of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza, describing the move as a breakthrough toward ending the war and securing the release of hostages.
Hamas confirmed Friday that it had submitted its response before Trump’s Sunday deadline, agreeing to release all Israeli captives — living and deceased — under the exchange framework outlined in the plan.
The group also expressed readiness to transfer Gaza’s administration to a technocratic Palestinian body formed by national consensus, with backing from Arab and Islamic states.
However, it stressed that Gaza’s long-term governance and Palestinian national rights “must be resolved collectively and in line with international law.”
In a video address from the Oval Office, Trump hailed Hamas’s statement as “a very special day” and thanked Qatar, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and others for their “tremendous amount of help.”
“Everybody was unified in wanting this war to end and seeing peace in the Middle East,” he said.
Qatar, a key mediator, welcomed Hamas’s “agreement to President Trump’s plan and its readiness to release all hostages,” and supported Trump’s call for an “immediate ceasefire to end the bloodshed of Palestinians.”
Egypt praised what it called a “positive development” and Trump’s “realistic political vision” for peace, urging all sides to “rise to the level of responsibility required.”
Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described Hamas’s response as “constructive and significant,” calling on Israel to “immediately stop all its attacks.”
European leaders also hailed the announcement.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reaffirmed her “full support for President Trump’s efforts to bring peace to the Middle East,” adding that “the priority for all must now be to reach a ceasefire that leads to the immediate release of all hostages.” U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Hamas’s acceptance a “significant step forward,” while French President Emmanuel Macron urged that it “be followed up without delay.” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said “peace in Gaza and the release of the hostages are within reach.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Canberra “welcomes progress on President Trump’s plan,” urging Hamas to “lay down its arms and release all remaining hostages without delay.”
Colombian President Gustavo Petro declared support for Trump “this time,” demanding an end to “the genocide” and saying that if Trump “moves his army to stop the oppression over Palestine, that army will be accompanied by the army of Colombia.”
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim voiced caution, saying that while the priority is to “save Palestinian lives,” the plan “is not perfect, and we even disagree with much of it.”
He added that the regional endorsement “is not a sign of agreement with everything in the plan but a collective step to halt the bloodshed, reject expulsion, and give the people of Gaza the opportunity to return to their homeland.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “encouraged” by Hamas’s response and urged all sides to “seize the opportunity” to bring the conflict to an end.
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