Gaza Civil Defense Reports Dozens of Israeli Airstrikes Despite Trump's Call for Ceasefire
The Gaza civil defense reported on Saturday that the Israeli occupation carried out dozens of airstrikes on the city of Gaza overnight, despite a call from US President Donald Trump to stop the bombings. The airstrikes resulted in at least 7 deaths and dozens of injuries.
"It was a very violent night, during which the occupation carried out dozens of raids and artillery bombardments on the city of Gaza and some areas of the Strip, despite President Trump's call to stop the bombings," said Mahmoud Bassal, spokesperson for the Civil Defense, in a statement to AFP. He emphasized that "the occupation destroyed more than 20 houses and buildings in Gaza last night."
Earlier, President Trump had stated that Israel must immediately stop bombing Gaza. "Based on the statement that the Hamas movement has just published, I believe they are ready for a lasting peace," Trump added via his "Truth Social" platform. He continued, "We are discussing the details that need to be finalized for the plan for Gaza." Trump explained that "this is not just about Gaza, but the long-desired peace in the Middle East."
Previously, White House spokesperson Caroline Leavitt had written on the X platform: "In the corridors of the Oval Office, President Trump is responding to Hamas' acceptance of his peace plan," which is supported by the Zionist entity, accompanying her message with a photo of the US President sitting at his desk, surrounded by camera equipment and staff.
On Friday evening, Hamas announced that it had submitted its official response to mediators regarding Trump's peace proposal for the Gaza Strip. In a statement, the movement said it had conducted "in-depth consultations within its leadership institutions, and extended them to Palestinian forces and factions, as well as to mediators and friends," before taking a position on the proposal.
The statement noted that Hamas "appreciates the Arab, Islamic, and international efforts, and the efforts of US President Donald Trump, aimed at stopping the war against the Gaza Strip, exchanging prisoners, immediately allowing aid to enter, and rejecting the occupation of the Strip or the expulsion of its inhabitants." The movement added that it "announces its agreement to hand over all Israeli prisoners, alive or dead, according to the exchange formula contained in the proposal, while ensuring the necessary ground conditions for the exchange operation," indicating that it is ready to enter into negotiations through mediators to discuss the details.
Hamas also reiterated its agreement to "hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian authority of independents (technocrats) based on a national Palestinian consensus and with Arab and Islamic support." According to the statement, "other issues related to the future of the Strip and the rights of the Palestinian people are linked to a unified national position based on relevant international laws and resolutions, and will be discussed within the framework of a Palestinian national forum in which the movement will participate."
