UN vehicles on a road used by Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza Strip, Oct. 3, 2025. (Credit: Mahmoud Issa/Reuters)
International reactions followed the positive response given Friday by Hamas to the Trump plan aimed at freeing Israeli hostages and ending the conflict in Gaza after nearly two years of hostilities. Here are the main reactions:
United States
“Given the statement just released by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE. Israel must immediately stop the bombings in Gaza so that we can get the hostages out quickly and safely,” President Trump wrote in a message on his Truth Social platform.
He also promised in a brief recorded video message that “everyone will be treated fairly” under his plan.
Israel
“Following Hamas’ response, Israel is preparing for the immediate implementation of the first stage of the Trump plan for the release of all hostages,” the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
Mediating countries
Qatar “welcomes Hamas’ announcement that President Trump’s plan has its approval,” said Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari, who also endorsed Trump’s call for an immediate cease-fire.
Egypt welcomed a “positive development” and expressed hope that, as a result, both parties “will commit to implementing President Trump’s plan on the ground and to ending the war,” its foreign ministry said in a Facebook post.
United Nations
UN Secretary-General António Guterres “welcomes and is encouraged by Hamas’ statement announcing that it is ready to release the hostages and to engage in discussions on the basis of President Donald J. Trump’s proposal. He calls on all parties to seize this opportunity to bring an end to the tragic conflict in Gaza,” his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said.
Europe
French President Emmanuel Macron, who in September led a diplomatic initiative at the UN in favor of recognizing a Palestinian state, wrote on X: “The release of all hostages and a cease-fire in Gaza are within reach! Hamas’ commitment must be followed by action without delay.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Hamas’ “agreement in principle” represented the “best chance” to end the war.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed “a significant step forward” that “brings us closer to peace than ever before,” and called on all parties to implement the plan “without delay.”
Turkey
Ankara said in a post on X that Hamas’ agreement was an “opportunity for the immediate establishment of a cease-fire in Gaza, the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to the region,” and that it “paved the way for progress toward lasting peace.”
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