After months of failed efforts to secure a peace deal in the Middle East, could there finally be a breakthrough in the negotiations? Read on to learn about the latest developments in this ongoing situation.

Hamas Agrees to Release Remaining Hostages

Hamas announced on Friday that it will immediately enter discussions to negotiate the release of all of the remaining hostages. The announcement came just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump's ultimatum to reach a peace agreement by Sunday evening. While Hamas leaders did not accept Trump's full proposal with no conditions, the militant group did say that it was ready to use mediators to negotiate the details of the hostage exchange.

In addition to addressing the hostage situation, Hamas said it was willing to hand over Gaza's governance to what they called “a Palestinian authority of independents." The Hamas response to Trump's proposal was sent to U.S. leaders through mediators.

Forty-eight hostages remain in Gaza; however, only 20 are reportedly still alive. Earlier in the day, Trump had called for the hostages to be released within 72 hours. The president's proposal also demanded that Hamas leaders relinquish power in Gaza.

President Trump responded to Hamas' acquiescence in a Truth Social post, putting the ball in the court of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In the statement, Trump called on Netanyahu to stop the bombing in Gaza immediately. The harsh tone was a contrast to earlier in the week when the two leaders met in the Oval Office.

The willingness of Hamas to agree to the two primary conditions levied by Trump could provide a clear pathway forward to achieve peace in the embattled region. It has been nearly two years since Hamas militants entered Israel and captured hundreds of hostages. International policy experts caution that a deal is far from certain, despite pressure from the global community on Hamas to accept the conditions of the U.S. proposal.

While the Hamas response shows its willingness to consider releasing the remaining hostages and giving up control in the region, it does not mention the disarmament of its weapons. This disarmament and destruction of Hamas' weapons was another key component of the Trump proposal. The Hamas response also does not address its agreement to take part in an international oversight committee under the direction of Trump. The president is demanding that the committee, which he referred to as the "Board of Peace," will supervise Gaza's governance in the weeks and months ahead. The proposal recognizes the Palestinians' desire to form a pathway to statehood.

Instead, the Hamas statement detailed that the specifics of the future of Gaza and its people will be discussed at a later time. Hamas is insisting that it will be included in the negotiations to form a "national Palestinian framework."

Agreement First Proposed Early in the Week

The Trump proposal was unveiled on Monday when Netanyahu visited the White House to meet with the president and his team about the ongoing war. The 20-point plan spelled out a path forward to end the war, as well as the release of the hostages and a plan to redevelop the decimated Gaza Strip.

Since the unveiling of the plan in Washington, D.C., Hamas has been meeting with mediators from Egypt and Qatar to hammer out the details. The issue escalated on Friday when Trump took to social media to demand that Hamas accept the proposal by 6 pm ET on Sunday.

Divisions among the leaders of Hamas have reportedly caused the delay in accepting the proposal. Communications were previously halted when Hamas' political arm, headquartered in Qatar, could not see eye to eye with the military leaders stationed in Gaza. The leadership was divided over what parts of Trump's plan to accept, specifically the issue of the demands to destroy its weapons.

The Trump plan calls for the destruction of all of Hamas’ infrastructure above and below ground. This destruction would happen under the supervision of independent parties.

Israel was also called on to release over 2,000 Palestinian prisoners as part of the plan. Under the proposal, Israel would also be required to begin the gradual withdrawal of its troops from Gaza. The proposed International Stabilization Force (ISF) agency would be led by Arab partners.

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