Hopes are rising for a potential agreement to end the conflict in Gaza, following statements made by U.S. President Donald Trump indicating that a settlement may soon bring peace and facilitate the release of hostages. However, Hamas has denied claims of its acceptance of Trump’s proposal, stating that it has not even received the plan. Despite this, a recent poll revealed that support for Trump’s peace initiative exceeds opposition, even among voters of the Israeli governing coalition.
Trump expressed that discussions aimed at concluding the Gaza conflict have been both inspiring and fruitful, presenting a real opportunity for a successful resolution.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump remarked: “There is more goodwill and enthusiasm for reaching an agreement, after many decades, than I have ever seen before. Everyone is eager to move past this period of death and darkness. We must recover the hostages and achieve a lasting peace.” He emphasized the intensive negotiations taking place with Middle Eastern representatives over the past four days and affirmed that they would continue as long as necessary to reach a consensus.
Trump noted that all countries in the region are engaged in these discussions, although he did not divulge further details. He mentioned that Hamas is aware of the discussions and that Israel has also been informed.
In contrast, Hamas reiterated that it has not received Trump’s ceasefire proposal for Gaza.
These statements came after an Israeli newspaper reported that Hamas had tentatively agreed to release all Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces based on Trump’s plan.
The report further suggested that the proposal included a termination of Hamas’s rule in Gaza, along with an Israeli agreement not to annex the territory or expel its Palestinian residents.
A Hamas official, speaking anonymously, asserted that the group had not been presented with any such plan.
Additionally, a recent survey published yesterday indicated that support for Trump’s proposed plan to resolve the Gaza conflict has surpassed opposition, even among Israeli coalition voters. According to the survey released by Maariv, 41% of coalition voters support the plan, while 33% oppose it.
Among the opposing voters, support for the plan was significantly higher, with 72% in favor compared to just 4% against it.
Overall, 53% of the general public supports Trump’s initiative, while 17% are opposed, with 30% still undecided, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.
Mass Displacement
On the ground, the Israeli military announced that over 750,000 Palestinians have been displaced from Gaza City to the southern part of the territory.
Israeli military spokesperson Avichai Adrai stated that the residents of Gaza City are fleeing due to the intensification of military operations, emphasizing that moving southward is for their safety. He urged people to relocate to the humanitarian zone in the Mawasi area as quickly as possible and join the more than 750,000 residents who have left in recent days and weeks.
Airstrikes and Casualties
Palestinian medical sources in Gaza reported that 51 people have been killed due to Israeli airstrikes in the territory since early yesterday.
The Palestinian news agency relayed that among the deceased, 27 were from Gaza City, while 16 others sustained various injuries from Israeli attacks targeting a group of Palestinians in the Al-Amal neighborhood northwest of Khan Younis.
Civil defense and emergency teams in Khan Younis recovered three bodies from an Israeli bombing that hit a vehicle near the Asda intersection, north of Gaza City.
Medical sources also noted that 20 hospitals have been forced to cease operations in the Gaza and northern governorates, while the remaining functioning hospitals in the area—including the Shifa Medical Complex, Patient Friends Hospital, Public Service Hospital, Sahaba Complex Hospital, Arab National Hospital, Al-Wafa Rehabilitation Hospital, Al-Halou Hospital, and the Red Crescent Field Hospital—are at significant risk.