Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said India welcomes US President Donald Trump's leadership as peace efforts in Gaza make decisive progress. Modi referred to the indications of the release of Israeli hostages by Hamas and said it marks a significant step forward in efforts to restore peace in the region.
In a post on X, PM Narendra Modi said, “We welcome President Trump’s leadership as peace efforts in Gaza make decisive progress. Indications of the release of hostages mark a significant step forward. India will continue to strongly support all efforts towards a durable and just peace.”
Donald Trump has ordered Israel to stop bombing the Gaza Strip after Hamas said it had accepted some elements of his plan to end the nearly two-year war and return all the remaining hostages taken in the October 7, 2023, attack.
{{/usCountry}}Donald Trump has ordered Israel to stop bombing the Gaza Strip after Hamas said it had accepted some elements of his plan to end the nearly two-year war and return all the remaining hostages taken in the October 7, 2023, attack.
{{/usCountry}}Hamas said it was willing to release the hostages and hand over power to other Palestinians, but that other aspects of the plan require further consultations among Palestinians.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel was preparing for an "immediate implementation" of the first stage of Trump's Gaza plan for the release of Israeli hostages following Hamas' response.
Shortly after, Israeli media reported that the country's political echelon had instructed the military to reduce offensive activity in Gaza.
Israel began its offensive in Gaza after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken as hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Israel says 48 hostages remain, 20 of whom are alive.
According to Gaza health authorities, Israel's military campaign has killed over 66,000 people in Gaza, most of them civilians. Its assault has destroyed much of the strip, while aid restrictions have triggered a famine in parts of Gaza, with conditions dire across the enclave.
Hamas on disarming agreement
Hamas, in a copy of its response seen by Reuters, did not say whether it would agree to disarm and demilitarize Gaza — something Israel and the U.S. want but Hamas has rejected before.
It also did not agree to an Israeli withdrawal in stages, as opposed to the immediate, full withdrawal Hamas demands.
A senior Hamas official told Al Jazeera that the group would not disarm before Israel's occupation of the enclave ends, comments that underscored the gap between the parties.
Qatar has begun coordination with mediator Egypt and the United States to continue talks on Trump's Gaza plan, the Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson said on X.
Trump's plan specifies an immediate ceasefire, an exchange of all hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a staged Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and the introduction of a transitional government led by an international body.