US President Donald Trump says “we’re very close” to ending the fighting in Gaza and achieving peace in the Middle East after Hamas submitted its response to his proposal to end the war and free the hostages it holds.
Hamas welcomed parts of Trump’s proposal, while hinting at resistance regarding other sections and insisting that additional negotiations were needed to finalize the terms.
But Trump appears to be wholeheartedly embracing the apparent “Yes, but” response as a win, issuing a video statement from the Oval Office’s Resolute Desk in which he thanks all of the countries that “helped me put this together — Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and so many others.”
“This is a big day. We’ll see how it all turns out,” Trump says.
“We have to get the final word down in concrete,” he adds, acknowledging that subsequent negotiations still need to be held, despite Washington’s seemingly premature celebrations.
“I look forward to having the hostages come home to their parents,” he says, clarifying that some of the 48 hostages will be coming home in caskets, as only 20 are believed to be alive.
“This is a very special day, maybe unprecedented.”
“We were given a tremendous amount of help. Everybody was unified in wanting this war to end and seeing peace in the Middle East, and we’re very close to achieving that.” Trump continues.
“Thank you all, and everybody will be treated fairly,” he stresses in an apparent message to the sides, neither of which may be completely satisfied with all parts of his plan for ending the war.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 3, 2025