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This past Friday, Hamas announced that it had backed certain elements of Donald Trump's demand to end the conflict in Gaza, agreeing to a hostage exchange and to relinquish governing authority in the coastal enclave, but indicated that it desired additional discussions on other components of the plan.

The group did not specify whether it would agree to disarm – a critical element of the Trump plan – and remained vague its response to additional sections of the 20-part plan initially suggested by Donald Trump earlier this week.

The response remained uncertain how the former president would respond to a qualified reply to his plan, which came just hours after he issued a Sunday cutoff for the organization to answer. He claimed that if an deal was not achieved "all hell" would ensue against the faction, whose fighters he portrayed as surrounded and trapped.

Major Concessions and Stipulations

In a announcement, the group said that it was providing its "approval of releasing all occupation prisoners – both alive and deceased – according to the swap terms contained in Donald Trump's plan, with the required practical arrangements for implementing the swap."

The communication continued to say that Hamas was prepared to turn over "the administration of the Gaza Strip to a local body of independent experts based on local agreement and backed by regional support."

Issues Needing Additional Discussion

However, the group said that "remaining matters" in the proposal would require to be discussed more "within a unified Palestinian national framework." The unspecified issues that Hamas will request talks on are expected to involve the issue of its weapons, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and international guarantees for the implementation of a permanent truce.

The former president's proposal demanded an swift end to hostilities in the area, an exchange of hostages and Palestinian prisoners within three days of the agreement's signing, a phased withdrawal of state forces from the strip, as well as the disarmament of Hamas and a postwar interim authority headed by Trump.

Humanitarian and Rebuilding Provisions

The agreement also specified a surge of assistance to Gaza, areas of which are presently undergoing famine, and rebuilding to the mostly destroyed strip.

The deal was largely viewed as unfavourable to the faction and if agreed in full, would probably mean the organization's demise as an militant Palestinian faction while demanding minimal concessions from Israel. International influence on the group to approve the strategy, was tremendous though, with most local and international powers supporting the Trump initiative.

Impact of the Captive Exchange

Though the organization did not immediately agree to disarm, its agreement to release captives will be seen as significant. The forty-eight hostages have been used by the group as primary bargaining power throughout the almost two year conflict in its negotiations with the US and Israeli officials. Giving them up will leave the group with few bargaining chips in the future.

Not the U.S. administration nor Jewish state authorities have so far responded to Hamas's appeal for amendments to the Trump demand.

Conflict Toll and Background

The Israeli war in the Gaza Strip has killed at least 62,622 locals and injured about 170,000, according to the Gaza health authority. The war was initiated by Israel in reaction to Hamas-affiliated fighters killing about 1,200 people and capturing two hundred fifty-one captives in Israel almost two years ago.