WASHINGTON (OSV News) — President Donald Trump on Oct. 3 called on Israel to stop bombing Gaza after Hamas agreed to the release of its Israeli hostages, pending negotiation of the details.
Hamas, the Islamist group in control of Gaza, expressed willingness to negotiate through mediators earlier the same day, after Trump set a deadline of Sunday, Oct. 5 for the group to respond to his proposal for a peace plan in Gaza.
Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, said in comments shared with OSV News, “We welcome news that Hamas has agreed to free the remaining hostages, living and deceased, as well as agreeing to transition governance of Gaza to an independent, technocratic body; this is the first step, and, God-willing, the beginning of the process for attaining lasting peace.”
“Let us continue praying for dialogue, mutual understanding between all sides, and fraternal collaboration for peace,” Bishop Zaidan said.
In response to Hamas’ indication that it would be willing to release the living hostages and the remains of the deceased ones, Trump wrote on social media that “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,” he said. “We are already in discussions on details to be worked out.”
Nearly two years of war between Israel and Hamas
Hamas attacked Israel Oct. 7, 2023, carrying out mass killings, kidnapping hostages, and provoking Israel to declare war the following day. About 1,200 people were killed in the surprise attack by Hamas, with militants engaging in sexual violence and taking hostages before retreating to Gaza.
In the nearly two years since, the Israeli government’s management of the ensuing conflict has been met with scrutiny and criticism, including from the United Nations, over its actions that led to civilian casualties, mass displacement, and famine.
In a video message from the Oval Office, Trump said, “This is a big day. We’ll see how it all turns out. We have to get the final word down in concrete.”
During a White House visit with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Sept. 29, Trump released a 20-point peace plan to end the Israel-Hamas war. The proposal itself was met with cautious optimism from some world leaders — including Pope Leo XIV — and skepticism from others as it remained unclear whether Hamas, which is designated a terrorist entity by the U.S., would ultimately accept the agreement amid increasing international concern about humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip.
In comments to reporters Sept. 30 at Castel Gandolfo about the White House plan, Pope Leo said, “It seems that it is a realistic proposal.”
“There are elements that I think are very interesting, and I hope Hamas accepts it in the established timeframe,” he said.
According to the BBC, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a short statement, saying that “In light of Hamas’s response, Israel is preparing to immediately implement the first phase of Trump’s plan for the immediate release of all hostages.”
“We will continue to work in full cooperation with the President and his team to end the war in accordance with the principles set forth by Israel that are consistent with President Trump’s vision,” the statement continued.
Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Follow her on X @kgscanlon.
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