Disbelief in Gaza as Trump Appears to Welcome Hamas Response to US Peace Proposal

Residents of Gaza have expressed astonishment after US President Donald Trump expressed approval of Hamas's response to his peace initiative for the region.

Hundreds Palestinians overwhelmed online platforms and texting services with questions such as: "Is the fighting finished?" and "Is this a dream or reality?"

The rapid pace of changes overnight has left many people finding it difficult to understand what happens next.

Thoughtful Reaction

The group's thoughtfully composed statement - considered to have been prepared with the assistance of negotiators - stopped short of outright rejection and instead provided a qualified "affirmative".

The movement consented to Trump's terms for the release of Israeli hostages and the proposal of passing on the administration of Gaza to Palestinian experts - but omitted a specific reply to many other components of his detailed initiative.

It was, numerous residents state, a calculated reply that returned the responsibility in Israel's court.

Varied Responses

Shortly after it was released, Trump stated on social media that he considered Hamas was willing to accept peace and requested Israel to cease the attacks of Gaza.

Responses among Palestinians in the region varied between optimism to strong doubt.

Certain people fear Hamas has fallen into a trap, and that Israel will recover its prisoners only to restart the fighting. Different individuals think a significant chance has emerged to conclude two years of conflict.

"I advise patience," Ibrahim Fares commented.

"Avoid excessive optimism by optimism. There will be negotiation sessions over the details. The difficulty is always in the specifics," he said. "Examine Lebanon, where even now there are still displaced people and bombings."

Rare Openness

Mahmoud Daher noted on social media that Hamas's reaction was unusual for its directness.

"On this occasion it was affirmative without the usual 'but' immediately after," he wrote.

"Affirmative to hostage freedom under Trump's plan, affirmative to ending the war and pullout, agreement to transferring authority to a Palestinian administration. The buts came only later. Hamas even appealed to Trump's self-image with compliments."

Doubtful Opinions

But not everybody is persuaded.

Resident advocate and long-standing Hamas opponent Khalil Abu Shammala said the determination was about the movement's survival.

"They will describe this prudence - or putting the people first. But the fact is, it's about Hamas maintaining authority. I even suspect Hamas drafted the announcement - it was overly sophisticated."

For the present moment, Palestinians remain uncertain as they wait to see whether the documented phrases can really be enough to end the fighting.