Washington: US President Donald Trump told Israel to immediately end the bombing in Gaza after Hamas expressed its willingness to exchange prisoners and agreed with some other terms in Washington's plan to end the war. 

Israel's military campaign has killed more than 66,000 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to Gaza health authorities. Its assault has destroyed much of the strip, while aid restrictions have triggered a famine in parts of Gaza, with conditions dire across the enclave. A UN Commission of Inquiry and multiple human rights experts have concluded that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, while Netanyahu's government holds that it has acted in self-defence.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said that Israel was preparing for an "immediate implementation" of the first stage of Trump's Gaza plan for the release of Israeli hostages following Hamas' response. The Palestinian militant group on Friday issued its response to Trump's 20-point plan after the US president gave Hamas until Sunday to accept or face grave consequences.

"We are already in discussions on the details to be worked out. This is not about Gaza alone, this is about long sought PEACE in the Middle East," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Netanyahu's office said Israel "will continue to work in full cooperation with the President and his team to end the war in accordance with the principles set out by Israel, which align with President Trump's vision."

Continued bombardment reported by residents
According to residents, Israeli tanks bombarded Talateeni Street, a major artery in the heart of Gaza City, after Trump's message to Israel to stop. Witnesses said Israeli military planes also intensified bombing in Gaza City in the hour after Hamas issued its statement, hitting several houses in the Remal neighbourhood. There were also strikes on Khan Younis, but no reports of casualties, residents said.

Israel, which backs Trump's proposal, has not yet commented on the Hamas response or on Trump's demand for an end to bombing in Gaza. But it's parliamentary opposition leader Yair Lapid who urged Netanyahu to move forward with the plan.

Domestically, the prime minister is caught between growing pressure to end the war — from hostage families and a war-weary public — and demands from hardline members of his far-right coalition who insist there must be no let-up in Israel’s campaign in Gaza.

Follow  up on Hamas commitment immediately, urges France
French President Emmanuel Macron, who spearheaded efforts for broader recognition of a Palestinian state in a bid to help end the conflict, said in a post on X: "Hamas' commitment must be followed up without delay."

Israel began its offensive in Gaza after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken as hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Israel says 48 hostages remain, 20 of whom are alive.

Israel's military campaign has killed more than 66,000 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to Gaza health authorities. Its assault has destroyed much of the strip, while aid restrictions have triggered a famine in parts of Gaza, with conditions dire across the enclave. A UN Commission of Inquiry and multiple human rights experts have concluded that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, while Netanyahu's government holds that it has acted in self-defence.

Thorny issues still to be ironed out
Hamas, in a copy of its response seen by Reuters, did not say if it would agree to disarm and demilitarise Gaza — something Israel and the US want but Hamas has rejected before. It also did not agree to an Israeli withdrawal in stages, as opposed to the immediate, complete withdrawal Hamas demands.

Trump's plan specifies an immediate ceasefire, an exchange of all hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a staged Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and the introduction of a transitional government led by an international body. However, a senior Hamas official told Al Jazeera that the group would not disarm before Israel's occupation of the enclave ends. Hamas also rejected Israeli withdrawal in stages, as opposed to the immediate, full withdrawal it demaded.

Hamas seeks further negotiations
In its response to Trump's plan, Hamas said it "appreciates the Arab, Islamic, and international efforts, as well as the efforts of US President Donald Trump, calling for an end to the war in the Gaza Strip, the exchange of prisoners, (and) the immediate entry of aid," among other terms. 

The group said it was ready "to hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of independents (technocrats) based on Palestinian national consensus and supported by Arab and Islamic backing." But Hamas did not make clear whether it would agree to Trump's proposal that it be barred from exercising political power in Gaza. But the group said it should be "included and will contribute" to any Palestinian national discussion on Gaza's future.

Hamas was not involved in the negotiations that led to the proposal.