TEHRAN – Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza say Hamas’s response to the U.S. proposal reflects a responsible national stance and came after thorough consultations.

They explained that the response was the result of extensive discussions aimed at reaching an agreement that aligns with the interests of the Palestinian people and ensures an end to the ongoing war of extermination. The factions called on all parties to take the necessary steps to move forward.

“Our people deserve that their resilience and heroism be crowned with outcomes that fulfill their national aspirations for freedom, independence, and the end of occupation,” the resistance movements stated.

They stressed the need for the Palestinian Authority to fulfill its duties and obligations immediately, including the urgent need to convene a national meeting.

In its reply to the U.S. offer, Hamas announced its agreement to release all Israeli captives, both living and deceased, under the appropriate field conditions for a prisoner exchange.

Hamas also confirmed its readiness to immediately enter negotiations, through mediators, to discuss further details. These include the prisoner exchange process, disarmament, and the occupation. 

Additionally, the movement reiterated its willingness to hand over administration of the Gaza Strip to a nationally agreed-upon body of independent Palestinian technocrats, based on Palestinian consensus and supported by Arab and Islamic nations.

However, all Palestinian resistance factions emphasized that Hamas’s responsible stance, taken on behalf of the broader Palestinian political forces, is a message to the world: “the time has come for the occupation(regime)to leave our land.”

Whilst Trump’s offer to end the Gaza genocide has been framed as a step toward peace, in reality, it risks entrenching the very conditions that make peace impossible. 

True peace cannot come from political deals crafted far from the rubble of Gaza; it can only emerge when the Israeli aggression and decades-long occupation end. Anything less merely pauses the cycle of violence, without addressing its root cause.

Palestinian factions accepted the U.S. proposal not out of faith in Washington’s intentions, which have time and again proven to be sinister, but to ease the unbearable suffering of their people, a population enduring starvation, bombardment, and displacement amid the genocide. 

In the hours leading up to Hamas’s announcement, the Israeli occupation regime intensified its bombardment of Gaza, striking displacement camps and killing civilians, an attempt to force acceptance through pressure. Such actions reveal the hollowness of any claim to “peace” built on coercion and collective punishment.

Gaza’s Ministry of Health stated on Saturday that “In the past 24 hours, 66 martyrs and 265 injuries have been recorded at hospitals in the Gaza Strip.” Israeli bombings continued in the enclave, killing more civilians. 

On the other hand, Palestinian resistance operations have, over the past two years, thwarted the occupation regime’s attempts to achieve any of its officially stated war objectives via military means. 

The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper revealed on Saturday that “As part of the Gideon Vehicles 2 operation, the Israeli army has not yet reached Hamas’s strongholds and targets in Gaza City.”

If there is to be a genuine end to this genocidal war, it must begin with ending the Israeli occupation, dismantling its system of aggression, and recognizing Palestinian rights to freedom and dignity.

“We do not accept a foreign administration of the Gaza Strip, and an independent national body must be formed for this task,” Hamas leader Osama Hamdan said. 

“There is a Palestinian national agreement that a national Palestinian body, linked to the Palestinian Authority, will manage the Gaza Strip,” Hamdan noted, adding, “Attempts to exclude Hamas from the Palestinian political process will not succeed.” 

Also, Israel Hayom, quoting an Israeli political source, said the “halt of attacks” in the Gaza Strip is not a ceasefire and not the beginning of a withdrawal.

This is why ceasefires imposed by force or diplomacy without justice and a full Israeli military withdrawal will only delay the next round of violence. Real peace will not be dictated from Washington or Tel Aviv. It will be born the day the occupation ends.

Hamas did not accept Trump’s offer; the movement responded to it positively through mediators, as it has done many times over the past two years when initiatives have been put on the table. 

Hamas has been delicately balancing long-term peace for its people who have suffered unimaginable pain alongside daily resistance operations that have inflicted significant losses on Israeli occupation forces and added immense pressure on the Netanyahu government. 

The Palestinian response has been met with positive international reactions. 

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed satisfaction with Hamas’s response to the proposal and praised the diplomatic efforts of Qatar and Egypt for mediation. 

Yemen’s Ansarallah said Hamas’s reply was responsible, realistic, and implementable, reflecting the desire of the movement and the factions to stop the aggression and spare civilian lives. 

It described the reply as "open to solutions and highly flexible," while warning that any new escalation in Gaza would aim to complete the genocide and further starve the Palestinian people, a responsibility that would fall primarily on the United States and the Israeli regime.

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said Hamas’s response “reflects the movement’s, and all Palestinian factions’ desire to spare Palestinian lives and protect civilians.” 

Egypt affirmed its determination, in coordination with Arab and Islamic countries and the international community, to exert maximum efforts to secure a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and to launch a comprehensive political process that ensures regional stability.

An Egyptian source said preparations are underway for a comprehensive Palestinian dialogue to discuss Gaza’s future in light of recent developments and Hamas’s response to President Trump’s ceasefire proposal.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry announced that Doha has begun coordinating with Egypt and the United States to continue talks aimed at ending the genocidal war. 

Qatar welcomed Hamas’s reply to the U.S. plan and said it is ready to continue mediation efforts to achieve a just and durable end to the conflict.

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry said Hamas’s response to President Trump’s proposal is “an important step toward ending the war and its catastrophic consequences.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed that the Israeli occupation must immediately halt all attacks and commit to the plan without delay. 

Erdogan added that urgent steps are needed to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and to stop “the genocide and the shameful scenes that deeply wound the world’s conscience,” adding that the outcome of ongoing talks must favor the Palestinian people.

Other global leaders also welcomed Hamas’s agreement to Trump’s plan, viewing it as an important step.

More crucially, it is the Israeli occupation that has consistently blocked peace efforts by refusing to withdraw from Palestinian lands and relentlessly targeting civilians, including women and children.

Given the devastation it has unleashed on Gaza, the likelihood of the occupying regime genuinely engaging in any peace process remains bleak.