#hamas

#hamas

Right now, you just talked about Israelis killing some Palestinians, but Hamas is killing Palestinians within Gaza. And they have not returned the bodies that they promised to return, including two Americans, Itay Chen and Omer Neutra, whose families we have interviewed over these months, observed MacCallum before asking, So what is your response to what Hamas is doing now?

Among the deceased hostages whose bodies have yet to be returned are two Americans, Itay Chen and Omer Neutra. Hamas promised to return all 28 under the deal but stressed during the negotiations that it didn't know many of their exact locations. The group has said some are trapped under rubble, and it could take months to find all of them.

On October 7, 2023 Hamas attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages to the Gaza Strip. According to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (updated on June 22, 2025), a total of 57 deceased hostages have been brought back to Israel so far. Israel says that the bodies of at least 27 killed hostages who were abducted on October 7 are still being held by Hamas.

On Sunday, clashes erupted between an armed clan and Hamas security forces, killing at least 27 people, including eight members of Hamas, according to the Ministry of Interior in Gaza. Caught in the crossfire was 28-year-old Palestinian journalist Saleh Aljafarawi, who was covering clashes in Gaza City's Sabra neighbourhood between what security sources told Al Jazeera Arabic was an armed militia and Hamas.

Trump's 20-point proposal to end the war in Gaza stipulates that Hamas release all hostages within 72 hours, surrender ruling power to a transnational authority headed by Trump, and disarm. In return, Israel would gradually withdraw its troops from the Gaza Strip and return more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. The deal will also mean a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza, parts of which are undergoing famine, and reconstruction funds to the strip, which has been almost entirely decimated.

Hope-filled reactions follow Hamas's response, marking a potential turning point in Israel's two-year war on Gaza. Global reactions, including from key mediators, to Hamas's partial acceptance of Donald Trump's 20-point plan to end Israel's war on Gaza, have been tinged with hope as the prospect of halting the two-year genocidal assault appears within reach. Late on Friday, the Palestinian group said that it was ready to release all remaining captives and hand over power to other Palestinians.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday ordered Israel to stop bombing the Gaza Strip after Hamas said it had accepted some elements of his plan to end the nearly two-year war and return all the remaining hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Hamas said it was willing to release the hostages and hand over power to other Palestinians, but that other aspects of the plan require further consultations among Palestinians. Senior Hamas officials suggested there were still major disagreements that required further negotiations.