In a surprise move, Hamas has formally agreed to Trump’s peace plan and is prepared to release all hostages. In response, the U.S. president ordered Israel to cease fire. Will it listen?
Donald Trump. (Gage Skidmore, Flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0)
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By Joe Lauria
Special to Consortium News
U.S. President Donald Trump ordered Israel to “immediately” cease bombing Gaza on Friday after Hamas said it would agree to Trump’s peace plan and would release the Israeli hostages it still holds.
Trump wrote on social media:
“Based on the Statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE. Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly! Right now, it’s far too dangerous to do that. We are already in discussions on details to be worked out. This is not about Gaza alone, this is about long sought PEACE in the Middle East.”
The ball has now passed from Hamas’ court to Israel’s. Giving up now would dash the plans of Benjamin Netanyahu’s extremist government to complete the Greater Israel vision of the country’s founders, which in the current instance is to drive the Palestinian people from Gaza and seize total control of the enclave.
Netanyahu can expect strong resistance from his cabinet to agree to Trump’s demand that it end military operations there.
Netanyahu’s office issued a statement early Saturday saying Israel was ready to put into effect the first stage of Trump’s plan regarding the hostages’ release. But it made no mention of negotiating the details with Hamas.
“We will continue to work in full cooperation with the President and his team in order to bring the war to an end in accordance with the principles set forth by Israel, which are consistent with President Trump’s vision,” the statement said.
On Saturday night, Netanyahu said Israel was “on the brink of a great achievement” to get the hostages released because of the pressure Israel and the U.S. had put on Hamas.
However, Trump’s plan seemed to be designed to fail — to blame Hamas for rejecting it and allowing Israel to “finish the job” of genocide and ethnic cleansing. There is still a good chance that that will happen.
Despite Trump later saying Israel had halted the bombing, Al Jazeera reported that 70 Palestinians had been killed in the past 24 hours. Al Jazeera also reported that hardline Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he told Netanyahu he and his Otzma Yehudit Party they would leave the government if Hamas “remains in existence.”
Hamas said it was willing to enter into indirect talks to get the deal done. The militant group said it would agree to give up power to a new Palestinian governing body in which it wanted to play a part, specifically saying it was prepared “to hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of independent technocrats, based on Palestinian national consensus and Arab and Islamic support.”
Hamas said it would give up its weapons if Israel ended its occupation and would release the 20 remaining hostages in exchange for 250 Palestinians serving life sentences in Israel and 1,750 who had been detained since the current hostilities began in October 2023.
??Hamas has submitted the following response to mediators regarding a ceasefire deal. pic.twitter.com/H3qU7lRUHm
— Hamdah Salhut (@hamdahsalhut) October 3, 2025
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is working with the U.S. and Egypt to “complete discussions on the plan to ensure an end to the war.”
That there so many details yet to be worked out, especially the coordination of Hamas yielding authority and weapons with Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, that there should be sufficient room for Israel’s hardliners to scotch the deal.
Where would that leave Trump and his demand that Israel stop bombing? It is a moment of high drama in the relationship of power between Israel and the United States.
Joe Lauria is editor-in-chief of Consortium News.
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Department of Violence and Intimidation (DOVI), or, more simply, Violence Department (VD). US has a right to, ahem, dis-ease. Nonetheless, new effective and safe protocols for peak-health are bubbling underground. Changing the colluding big-harmas/globs will change flows of resources more than anything else.
I’ve been wondering why Hamas went along with this surrender deal. The only reason I can come up with is to expose Israel for its unwillingness to negotiate a true peace agreement. Netanyahu already said they would end offensive strikes, but continue defensive strikes. A dead giveaway they are not serious. No way to implicate Hamas. They will try, but virtually no one will believe them now. Perhaps that’s how Israel will end.
If the 2,000 Palestinian prisoners are released before the “Peace Plan” fails, it will be a victory.
The Zionists have breached the ceasefire with Lebanon about a thousand times. They are non agreement capable like their patron.
The fact is that Netanyahu and his genocidal buddies have been very open and clear on what they’re going to do and what they won’t accept. The people who obfuscate and try to pretend that black is white are Trump and his western and Arab vassals.
Netanyahu has said there will never be a Palestinian state and that they will control Gaza. This you can believe, and whilst USA dollars pour into Israel there is no other reality.
The solution is staring the world in it’s face.
Yes, and this supposed tension between Trump and Bibi looks like another Kabuki theater act.
How many times has Netanyahu scuppered ceasefire deals and blamed it on Hamas? And how many times has Trump let it slide by?
Memo To: Trump-Vance, Inc., RE: *“Peace Plan vs. Piece Plan.”
A best practice, “Turn-Off your “Gaslight” & Open Up Your Mind!” TY.
PEACE “is a dynamic dance between strategy, skill, and precision.” Once, again, DJ “the Big $hot” Trump is tripping all over his *“PIECE” Plan aka DJ Trump’s “dreaded bunker shot. Bunker shots (or sand traps) can significantly impact your “Country” and leave everybody frustrated. There’s nothing worse than being stuck in a sandy mess,” GAZA, the West Bank of Jordan, the Middle East, The Divided $tates of Corporate America, “with the gleaming green taunting you from afar.”
DJ “The Big $hot” Trump’s “challenge lies not only in getting the ball out of” the “BBB,” Big Beautiful Bunker; BUT, also in “controlling its trajectory, spin, and landing spot, on the green.” Once, again, Trump bogey’s the shot, “the ball has now passed from Hamas’ court to Israel’s”.
DJ “The Big $hot” Trump needed to place “the ball” in the hands of the United Nations Special Rapporteur, Francesca Albanese, “to positively set up his next shot,” i.e., Francesca Albanese’s “Nomination for the Nobel PEACE Prize. After all, Francesca Albanese is the G.O.A.T., “LEGAL SCHOLAR & EXPERT on human rights, on the occupied Palestinian territories since 1 May 2022. Francesca Albanese, initially, appointed for a 3-Year term & was confirmed for ANOTHER 3-YEARS, in April 2025. Francesca Albanese is the first woman to hold the position.”
No doubt, Trump’s biggest “sand trap” is being BB’s B*tch of the West, forever; AND, knowing how to get out of the “BBB”, BB’s Bunker, is something every POTUS needs in their arsenal! “ONE, PHONE CALL,” 1-800-911-VIPS, Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, b/c Trump-Vance, Inc., are in deep, deep $h*t! “Donald, Call VIPS, Today!” At the f/least, read aloud, all Memorandum, fm VIPS addressed to Trump-Vance, Inc., a “How To Be Human & POTUS!”
“Ya gotta have heart!!!” No doubt, the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity & Francesca Albanese would so f/put Trump on a level of unmatched play, universally.“Mastering bunker shots can become a strength rather than an obstacle!” DJ “The Big $hot” Trump’s biggest “obstacle” is his Board of Executioners, his“Caddy” Little Marco Rubio, his Cheshire Cat, Steve Witkoff, his shadow, Pete Hegseth, his Israeli Neti-Pot, Binyamin Netanyahu; &, his “egomaniacal, unstable personality.”
Unfortunately, POTUS, DJ Trump, is always the Gemini, Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde. The someone who “spends US Taxpayers’ money. The money taxpayers earn & never see. What “we” know rock’n in the WH of Voodoo is “Double-Trouble” as soon as he appears.” There are things you can, and cannot do; AND, getting it so f/wrong, i.e., “This is not about Gaza alone, this is about long sought PEACE in the Middle East,” is f/up! This is all about GAZA! POTUS ‘ 42-47 “OWN IT!” “Every despicable aspect of the calamity perpetrated, in GAZA, by the USG’s ever obedient & reliant proxy, ISRAEL!”
“It’s NOT good. Buhlieve, me, not good!” i.e., 10.4.25, “Israel kills 41 despite Trump saying it has ‘stopped bombing’ Gaza.” hxxps://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/10/4/live-trumps-tells-israel-stop-bombing-gaza-after-hamas-ceasefire-reply
TY, Joe Lauria, CN, et al. Onward & Upwards!
* “Piece Plan” by Mr. Fish @ “The Ceasefire Charade,” Chris Hedges hxxps://chrishedges.substack.com/p/the-ceasefire-charade
* hxxps://www.performancegolf.com/blog/mastering-the-sand-trap-4-tips-to-improve-your-bunker-shot
* “Joe Biden Owns This,” Andrew Mitrovica @hxxps://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/10/19/joe-biden-owns-this
Hamas and every other person in the world should never trust Netanyahu. He will never ever keep his word and whatever word he gives will be measured so he can fake it. Like he says here such as “first phase of Trump’s plan. And honestly I don’t trust Trump one bit. Remember Iran and look into the future.
Now Trump is back to saying that Hamas must release the hostages right now OR ELSE.
Trump has been in politics for a decade and you still haven’t figured out his negotiating tactics?
He threatens, insults, and cajoles, then offers effusive praise, then switches back and forth until he gets what he wants or negotiations break down. It’s more of a adversarial boardroom-style negotiation than a politely neutral diplomatic-style negotiation. Both kinds of negotiation work sometimes and fail other times. Only time will tell how it works out this time. What I do no is that it stands more of a chance of succeeding that sitting on your hands and doing nothing, which was the Biden Administration’s tactic (in both Israel and Ukraine). They left it in the hands of the ‘professional’ diplomats for a year-and-a-half and accomplished sod-all. Trump has at least got the two sides agreeing to a tentative framework in his first eight months. Maybe it ends up being all for nothing and the two sides start shooting again next week, but it beats doing nothing.
This is all smoke and mirrors – the so called peace plan is a means to draw Hamas out then finish the job. Nethanyahu and his fascist cronies will only be happy when the Palestinian people are ground into the dust.
Gitte, your “big question” has already been answered. Trump
has said Israel has fulfilled his no bombing demand, when
in reality Israel has killed some forty Palestinians, mostly
children, in its latest assault (al Jazeera news, Middle East
Eye News headlines), and Netanyahu has said Gaza City
is still “a combat zone.” A promise of more killing to come.
So much for Trump’s Gaza “Peace Plan.”
The only problem is that Israel does not obey Trump – Trump obeys Israel. And both of them know exactly that this will never change.
The intentions of Israel and the Zionist are far greater than annexing Gaza and the West Bank. They intend to dominate the entire mid-East as well as all the Western Governments as is evident by their present control over the US…and the UK. Their plans have been secretly laid for hundreds of years. They work steadily and stealthily to achieve their goals and they pass their mission on from generation to generation. If it is in their interest to halt their progress for a few years…then that’s what they’ll do. If the have the opportunity to gobble up vast lands in short order…then that’s what they’ll do. They are flexible in their tactics…but rock hard consistent in their long term goals. That has become their nature.
Many humans do not have the support system that the Zionists and the Christian Zionists have developed. Our simple struggle to survive promotes a narrow perspective of our place in history. When we wonder why we cannot stop the atrocities committed by these “Chosen” people we fail to appreciate the groundwork that that they have laid before any of us were born. The root of this present conflict was nurtured by Jewish Zionists in collusion with Christian Dispensationalists for at least 200 years .
If Trump believes that a lasting peace is possible in the Mid East without confronting the underlying long term motives of all the Zionists he is displaying incredible ignorance.
Yes, as the article says, the goal is Greater Israel.
And after Hamas gives up its weapons? Then what? If we have learned from the events of the past two years neither Israel nor the U.S. can be trusted to keep any agreement. Hamas may believe this deal; I don’t.
Trump wants “Peace” in the ME – baloney, Trump wants a Nobel Peace Prize, and apparently the Committee meets on Oct 18. Netanyahu has nominated him for it … If, by some chance he gets it, it will be the biggest farce since Obama’s, but that is who he is competing with … if he doesn’t, he will do his usual routine of ranting, raging, etc.
In any case, the genocide will continue, because Bibi and crew are still hell bent on establishing a Greater Israel, without Palestinians …
So, here’s the deal, Israel will “cease fire” until all the hostages are returned, then start up again, just like the last one, (notice the deal says nothing about a permanent cease fire or right of return), and the genocide will resume – Trump, in the past has told Bibi to “finish the job”, but he’s been a little pokey in doing so (genocide) and time is getting short (Oct. 18 is only 2 weeks away) – so lets play “cease fire” for hostages again …. and then Tumpty can claim he is “the greatest peacemaker of all time”
Hamas is in a tough spot – if it agrees to disarm, the Palestinians will be without their only defenders, if it doesn’t it will be blamed for the ongoing war … It seems to me they ought to hide themselves and their weapons as best they can until the inevitable time they will need them again …
Why should Netanyahu obey? When Trump hasn’t any
morality nor courage to hold to his demand, supports Israeli genocide
by blaming Hamas for all Israel’s violations and is politically financed by
Israel Zionist billionaires.
Words are easy.
Trump may not have morality, but he is motivated by legacy. Nothing would burnish his legacy more than being the President who achieves peace in the middle east. He wants this. Badly. He can taste the Nobel prize already.
Don’t trust Trump’s morals, trust his vanity/ego.
The ugly truth is, selfish/vain motivations can accomplish good things. LBJ was hardly a believer in the equality of black people (his personal conversations/correspondence make that abundantly clear), but he got the civil rights bill passed because he wanted to establish a legacy for his presidency. You don’t have to love his intentions, but the results speak for themselves.
Encore the string along song brought to US by consummate con artistry!
Trump’s peace plan is the dealer’s trick card. Once it is rejected, it opens up the road for Netanyahu to fully carry out his final play: his always conclusive intention of making occupied territories utterly unlivable, by killing off civilized humanity; should anyone still alive dare to overtly interfere thereafter.
The Government of Donald Trump has the power to end the war on GAZA! Israel cannot survive without the heavy financial backing of the United States. The big question is, if Trump – who is so good at sanctioning everybody else – will stop the constant and massive US dollar flow to Netanyahu, If he will, the war will be over and Israel will have to withdraw.
For 15 months Joe “I am a Zionist!” Biden and his bipartisan AIPAC-controlled Congress (who gave 25 standing ovations to Netanyahu in the summer of 2024 before Trump was elected) gave total support and funding to the slaughter of Palestinians. Nothing has really changed in the 9 months Trump has been in power; “the constant and massive US dollar flow to Netanyahu” will continue unabated.
Gitte, your “big question” has already been answered. Trump
has said Israel has fulfilled his no bombing demand, when
in reality Israel has killed some forty Palestinians, mostly
children, in its latest assault (al Jazeera news, Middle East
Eye News headlines), and Netanyahu has said Gaza City
is still “a combat zone.” A promise of more murder to come.
So much for Trump’s Gaza “Peace Plan.”
No American president is going to cut off Israel. There is too much money to be made. America is (by far) the world’s largest arms dealer and isn’t in the business of cutting off good customers. Same goes for Ukraine. Helping people around the globe kill their enemies is America’s business, and business is booming.
Too little too late Donald Trump.
Too late? The guy has been in office less than a year and is at least making strides towards ending things, even if it all falls apart.
How much progress did Biden make in a year-and-a-half? Zip. Zilch. Nada. The exact same amount of progress as Biden made in Ukraine.
Trump may swing-and-miss, but at least he is out there taking his cuts. Biden kept the bat on his shoulder for four years.
I find it VERY hard to believe Israel will obey.
Masters never obey slaves. The whole world knows that israel owns the US. Satanyahu has already rejected it. Case closed.
4D Chess, well played Hamas. Of course Israel will not comply – when have they ever ?
The real question is now what happens ?
I suspect Trump will green light Israel regardless. Hamas broke the deal by agreeing to it.
I agree. It was well played. I thought for sure Hamas would reject it out of hand and give Israel justification to continue. They finally made a smart move and boxed Israel in by tentatively accepting.