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Hamas agreeing to free the outstanding hostages, although dependent on talks and specific terms being met, will give genuine hope to the relatives in the Israeli state who have been eagerly waiting for this kind of news for a very long time

In its statement responding to the US peace proposal, the organization agreed to "release all Israel's prisoners, both alive and deceased, in line with the swap formula contained in President Donald Trump's plan, on condition the practical conditions for the exchange are met"

That formula, detailed by Trump at the White House in recent days, envisions an immediate end to the fighting and the release within 72 hours of all living Israel's captives detained by Hamas – as well as the bodies of hostages believed to be dead – in return for a large number of detained Palestinian people

There are estimated to be 48 hostages still being held in the Palestinian territory by the militant faction, only 20 of whom are considered to be alive

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The endorsement by Hamas of an additional essential part of the US ceasefire proposal, the concept of handing over the governance of the Gaza Strip to Palestinian technocrats, is also evidently significant

But there are numerous of additional elements of the comprehensive, twenty-part proposal that are glaring by their absence

The most notable of those is the requirement that the organization surrender its arms

"This is a big day", Trump remarked of Hamas response to peace deal

The Israel's leadership will now be scrutinizing the language of the statement to glean the true intent

It will need to determine whether it views this as a genuine good faith approval of several of the central points of the deal, or simply an effort to buy time and reopen protracted discussions

Considering that it came just a few hours after President Donald Trump issued his final ultimatum for the faction to agree by the weekend deadline or face "serious consequences", some members of the Israeli premier's cabinet are expected to be deeply doubtful

That is especially true now the American leader has urged the Israeli state to without delay halt the airstrikes of the territory

"In light of the Statement just released by Hamas, I am convinced they are prepared for a lasting CEASEFIRE", Trump said shortly after the group's statement was released

"Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly", he added. "At present, it's far too dangerous to do that"

The Israelis will not like the last section of his announcement implying that Hamas would retain a participation in talks over the long term future of Gaza

The Hamas response is important, no doubt. In a video message broadcast later on Friday, Trump declared it was a "big day" and thanked a number of countries which he said had helped him develop the proposal forward

But there is nonetheless a substantial amount of detail to be worked through before a truce in the area becomes anything like a certainty. And the US leader appeared to acknowledge this was not a done deal

"It remains to be seen how it all turns out", he commented. "We have to finalize the final word in place and firmly established"