“This is a great opportunity for peace with Hamas accepting the Trump plan for the release of hostages, a ceasefire, the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces, and governance by a transition authority in Gaza,” Paulo Rangel told journalists.
The head of diplomacy was speaking on the sidelines of a campaign event for the local elections in Porto.
On Friday, the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas expressed willingness to accept parts of the U.S. President’s peace plan for Gaza, including the release of the remaining hostages, but indicated a desire to negotiate other aspects.
Paulo Rangel considered Hamas’s position “a very, very important step” and noted that the Israeli government has already confirmed to the European Union that it is “prepared to initiate negotiations leading to the details of executing the first phase of the agreement.”
“We only have to ask all parties involved to strictly adhere to what is in President Trump’s plan. If so, we will enter a new phase where this conflict will be halted initially and has many chances of being well resolved in the medium term,” he estimated.
Hamas stated its readiness to free hostages according to the plan’s “formula” and reiterated its openness to transferring power to a politically independent Palestinian body.
The movement added its readiness for immediate negotiations to discuss the “details” of releasing hostages, both alive and deceased.
However, it emphasized that aspects of the proposal related to the future of the Gaza Strip and Palestinian rights should be decided based on a common Palestinian position, established with other factions and grounded in international law.
The Trump plan, released last week, proposes a ceasefire, the release of hostages within 72 hours, and the disarmament of Hamas, accompanied by a scheme for Gaza’s reconstruction with international support.
“Portugal is proud to have participated with France, with Saudi Arabia, and with many European and non-European partners in the New York declaration. A very important part of the essential points of the Trump plan is reflected in this declaration,” noted Paulo Rangel, highlighting the “opportunity to engage with our partners in implementing this agreement.”
Following Hamas’s stance, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Israel to cease its bombing in the Gaza Strip immediately, yet the Israeli military declared its ongoing offensive in Gaza City with attacks that have killed about three dozen people this morning.
Pressed by journalists, Paulo Rangel reiterated the call for compliance with the agreement.
“The essence of the agreement is the ceasefire,” he said.
On October 7, 2023, Israel declared war on the Gaza Strip to “eradicate” Hamas hours after Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack in Israeli territory, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
In power in Gaza since 2007 and classified as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, and Israel, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) also took 251 hostages that day, around 40 of whom remain captive.
The war in the Gaza Strip has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, according to local authorities’ figures, which the UN considers credible, and a humanitarian disaster that has forced about two million residents to repeatedly relocate within the enclave.
[Updated at 15:20]
