KEY POINTS
- Egypt will host a Palestinian conference on Gaza’s post-war governance, Hamas said.
- Talks will focus on Palestinian unity and future administration of Gaza.
- The move follows Hamas’s acceptance of key provisions in Trump’s peace plan.
- Trump’s plan calls for a ceasefire, hostage release, Israeli withdrawal, and Hamas’s disarmament.
- Trump urged Israel to “immediately stop the bombing” of Gaza.
- Israeli forces continued air and artillery strikes in Gaza.
- Islamic Jihad endorsed Hamas’s response, signalling Palestinian unity.
- Gaza’s health ministry says over 66,244 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023.
- UN rights chief Volker Turk called it a vital chance to end Gaza’s bloodshed.
GAZA CITY, Palestine: Egypt will convene a conference of Palestinian factions to decide on the post-war governance of the Gaza Strip, a senior Hamas official said on Saturday, following the group’s acceptance of key provisions in US President Donald Trump’s peace proposal to end the nearly two-year war.
Intra-Palestinian talks
The Hamas official, quoted by AFP, said the conference would focus on “Palestinian unity and the future administration of Gaza”.
Egypt, which has long acted as a mediator in ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Palestinian groups, is expected to host the talks in Cairo in the coming days, according to AFP.
The development came a day after Hamas announced its willingness to release all hostages held in Gaza under the terms of Trump’s peace plan.
The proposal calls for an end to the ongoing Israeli military offensive in the besieged Gaza Strip, the release of hostages within 72 hours, a phased Israeli withdrawal, and the disarmament of Hamas.
Under the plan, governance of the Palestinian territory would be transferred to a technocratic body supervised by a transitional authority led by Trump himself.
Hamas did not address the conditions relating to its disarmament or political exclusion from Gaza’s future administration.
Trump asks Israel to stop bombing
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Hamas’s statement showed readiness for “a lasting peace” and urged Israel to “immediately stop the bombing of Gaza” to ensure the safe release of hostages.
“The movement announces its approval for the release of all hostages — living and remains — according to the exchange formula included in President Trump’s proposal,” Hamas said in a statement on Friday.
Despite the appeal, Israeli forces continued operations overnight in Gaza City. “The IDF troops are still operating in Gaza City, and returning to it is extremely dangerous,” Israeli military spokesperson Colonel Avichay Adraee warned on X.
“For your safety, avoid returning north or approaching areas of IDF troop activity anywhere — including in the southern Gaza Strip.”
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, representing relatives of Israeli captives, welcomed Trump’s intervention, calling it “essential to prevent serious and irreversible harm to the hostages”.
The forum urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “begin efficient and swift negotiations to bring all our hostages home.”
Israel continues bombing despite Trump’s appeal
Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that Israeli air and artillery strikes struck several areas across Gaza City overnight, destroying at least 20 homes.
“It was a very violent night, during which the (Israeli army) carried out dozens of air strikes and artillery shelling on Gaza City and other areas in the Strip, despite President Trump’s call to halt the bombing,” civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said, as quoted by AFP.
Hospitals in the enclave reported multiple casualties. Gaza City’s Baptist Hospital said it received bodies of four people killed and several others wounded in a strike on a home in the Tuffah neighbourhood.
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Further south, Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said two children were killed and eight others injured in a drone attack on a tent sheltering displaced civilians.
“The situation is very serious in Gaza City,” Bassal added, saying rescue teams were unable to reach all affected areas because of “the presence of tanks and the ongoing bombardment.” The Israeli military told AFP it was “checking” reports of the overnight strikes.
Islamic Jihad endorses Hamas’s response
Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an Palestinian group allied with Hamas, said it endorsed Hamas’s acceptance of Trump’s peace plan, calling it a collective stance of the “Palestinian resistance factions.”
“Hamas’ (reaction) to Trump’s plan represents the position of the Palestinian resistance factions, and the Islamic Jihad participated responsibly in the consultations that led to this decision,” the group said in a statement.
The public alignment between Hamas and Islamic Jihad raised cautious optimism in Gaza, where repeated ceasefire efforts have failed since Israel launched the ongoing military offensive in October 2023.
“It saves those who are still alive, it saves the people, and thank God that they agreed,” said 32-year-old Gaza resident Saoud Qarneyta. “We are tired, I swear to God, we are tired.”
Others voiced scepticism, fearing Israeli opposition could derail the proposal. “What is important is that Netanyahu does not sabotage this, because now that Hamas agreed, Netanyahu will disagree, as he usually does,” said Jamal Shihada, a resident of Jerusalem.
Humanitarian crisis
According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 66,244 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its military campaign in October 2023, figures the United Nations considers credible.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk called the latest developments “a vital opportunity to stop bloodshed and misery in the Palestinian territory once and for all.”
Meanwhile, Axios reported that the Israeli military may shift to a defensive posture in Gaza and suspend plans to seize Gaza City, though the Israeli army has not confirmed this.
