International, Oct 4 (Petra) -- A number of Arab, Islamic, and world nations Saturday welcomed Hamas's "positive" response to US President Donald Trump's plan to end Israel's war on the Gaza Strip, stop the bloodshed in Palestine, alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people, and rebuild Gaza.
"This is a very special day. Maybe unprecedented. In many ways, it is unprecedented," commented Trump, thanking the governments of Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan for helping to put the plan forward.
"This is a big day. We’ll see how it all turns out. We have to get the final word down in concrete," he added in a video.
Hamas released a statement on Friday saying it would release all prisoners, including remains of those who have died, and expressed its readiness to immediately enter, through mediators, into negotiations on the details.
It also agreed to hand over control of the Gaza Strip to an independent Palestinian body, a key point in the peace plan.
Egypt's Foreign Ministry said Hamas's response reflects its commitment and that of all Palestinian factions to spare the Palestinians from further bloodshed and protect innocent civilians, and a desire to end a dark era in the region's history.
It also recognizes the need to end this war to pave the way for the realization of the Palestinian people's aspirations for an independent state on their national soil.
The Egyptian statement said Cairo is determined to exert maximum effort, in coordination with Arab and Islamic partners, the United States, the European Union, and the international community, to achieve a permanent ceasefire, alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people, and rebuild the Gaza Strip.
Qatar welcomed Hamas's statement and voiced its support for the US President's call for an immediate ceasefire for the safe and prompt release of hostages and to stop the bloodshed in Gaza.
Qatar also said it began work with partners, in coordination with the United States, to complete discussions on the plan to ensure an end to the war.
The Prime Minister of the Netherlands and the Foreign Ministers of Sweden and Pakistan welcomed Hamas's acceptance to release all hostages in Gaza and begin immediate negotiations on the peace plan, leading to an immediate ceasefire and ending the suffering of the Palestinians.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Hamas's response is a "constructive and important" step toward lasting peace, stressing that Israel is now required to immediately cease all attacks and abide by the ceasefire plan.
He called for all steps to be taken without delay to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and achieve lasting peace, stressing that "this genocide and this shameful scene that deeply wounds the global conscience must now end." For his part, French President Emmanuel Macron said, "We now have an opportunity to make decisive progress toward peace." British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on all parties to implement the agreement without delay, indicating that there is a chance to end the fighting, return prisoners, and deliver humanitarian aid to those most in need. He said, adding "the region is closer to peace than ever." German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called it "the best chance for peace" in Gaza.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that everyone's priority now must be to reach a ceasefire for the immediate release of all prisoners.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed hope it would pave the way for an immediate ceasefire and increased aid flow to Gaza. They pledged continued support for efforts to end the war on Gaza and work to achieve a just and sustainable solution based on a two-state solution.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called on all parties to carry out their commitments and promote peace and security in the region.
//Petra//SS
