Why Trump Is Telling Israel to Stop Bombing Gaza—and What He Says About Hamas

Palestinians make their way with belongings as they fled their homes, after Israeli air strikes, in the northern Gaza Strip May 16, 2025. (REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa)

Washington, D.C. — October 3, 2025 - President Donald Trump announced Friday that he believes Hamas is "ready for a lasting peace," calling on Israel to immediately cease its bombing operations in Gaza as the militant group signaled partial acceptance of his administration's 20-point peace proposal. The extraordinary intervention, delivered via a Truth Social post and a White House briefing, marks a sharp pivot in U.S. policy toward the 11-month Israel-Hamas war, which has claimed over 41,000 Palestinian lives and displaced 1.9 million in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Trump's statement came hours after Hamas issued a conditional agreement to release all remaining Israeli hostages—estimated at 101, including 34 presumed dead—in exchange for a phased ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from northern Gaza. "Hamas is ready for PEACE, and Israel must stop the bombing NOW to give peace a chance," Trump wrote on Truth Social, echoing his first-term Abraham Accords approach but diverging from his previous unqualified support for Israel's military actions.

The president's plan, unveiled last week during a UN General Assembly address, outlines a multi-phase roadmap: immediate hostage releases in batches of 20 every 48 hours, a 60-day humanitarian truce, reconstruction aid totaling $50 billion from Gulf states, and demilitarization of Hamas in exchange for Palestinian Authority governance in Gaza. Hamas' response, relayed through Qatari mediators, endorsed the hostage framework but demanded guarantees against renewed Israeli incursions and full lifting of the blockade imposed since 2007.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government has conducted over 30,000 airstrikes since October 7, 2024—resulting in the destruction of 60% of Gaza's buildings per UN satellite assessments—dismissed the overture as a "Hamas trick." In a Knesset address, Netanyahu vowed to continue operations until "total victory," citing the recovery of six hostage bodies just days ago as evidence of Hamas' duplicity. Yet, behind-the-scenes diplomacy intensified, with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff shuttling between Jerusalem and Doha.

Trump, leveraging his self-proclaimed deal-making prowess, set a Sunday evening deadline for a framework agreement, warning that failure could prompt U.S. leverage, including delays in $3.8 billion annual military aid to Israel. "I've spoken to Bibi [Netanyahu]—he knows it's time. No more bombing, or the deal's off," Trump told reporters, referencing a 30-minute call earlier Friday.

The war erupted on October 7, 2024, when Hamas militants killed 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages in a cross-border assault—the deadliest day in Israel's history. Israel's subsequent ground invasion and aerial campaign have reduced Gaza's health system to 17 partially functional hospitals out of 36, with famine risks affecting 96% of the population, per Integrated Food Security Phase Classification reports.

Trump's comments build on his October 30, 2024, campaign pledge to restore Middle East peace, contrasting with the Biden-Harris administration's approach, which he lambasted for "endless wars." Polls show 62% of Americans favor a ceasefire, including 55% of Jewish voters, amid protests that have roiled U.S. campuses and cities.

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh hailed Trump's "realistic vision" from Doha, while Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas urged international backing. In the U.S., progressive Democrats like Rep. Rashida Tlaib praised the shift as "long overdue," but pro-Israel groups such as AIPAC decried it as "rewarding terrorism."

Netanyahu's office pushed back, stating Israel would not "negotiate under fire," though analysts note internal coalition fractures, with war-weary reservists petitioning for an end to the draft. Internationally, Egypt and Jordan welcomed the U.S. initiative, offering to host talks.

As the deadline looms, Trump's gamble—framed as "the art of the deal for peace"—could reshape the conflict's trajectory. With Gaza's daily death toll averaging 100 amid fuel shortages and aid blockades, the world watches whether words will yield a halt to the bombs. Updates expected as negotiations unfold.