'Significant step': PM Modi hails Trump's leadership as Hamas agrees to release Israeli hostages

Hamas has signaled acceptance of key elements of US President Donald Trump’s proposed plan to end the Gaza conflict and has stated that it is ready to immediately enter negotiations with mediators to discuss the details.

The move comes just hours before Trump’s self-imposed deadline for the militant group to agree to what he called a “last chance” deal.

Welcoming the breakthrough, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Trump’s role in brokering the agreement.

“We welcome President Trump’s leadership as peace efforts in Gaza make decisive progress. Indications of the release of hostages mark a significant step forward. India will continue to strongly support all efforts towards a durable and just peace,” Modi said.

In a video address, Trump thanked Middle Eastern nations for their role in supporting the pact.

“I want to thank the countries that helped me put this together -- Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and so many others. This is a very special day, maybe unprecedented in many ways. Everybody was unified in wanting this war to end and seeing peace in the Middle East, and we’re very close to achieving that,” he said.

He stressed that the deal would bring home hostages and ensure civilians are spared further bloodshed.

“The violence and bloodshed will stop,” Trump said, while warning Hamas of “total destruction” if they reneged.

The Hamas had in a carefully worded statement, said it agreed to release all Israeli hostages – dead or alive -- in line with Trump’s proposal, provided field conditions for such an exchange are met.

The militant group also reaffirmed readiness to hand over Gaza’s administration to a Palestinian technocrats’ body based on national consensus.

However, Hamas stressed that broader issues, including Gaza’s long-term status and the rights of Palestinians, must be addressed in a “comprehensive national framework” grounded in international law. It made clear that any discussion of Gaza’s political future must involve all Palestinian factions and international mediators.

Trump’s “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict,” unveiled on September 29, outlines a 21-point framework calling for a ceasefire, hostage return, international reconstruction, and eventual technocratic governance.

Just a day earlier, Trump had issued a fiery ultimatum to Hamas, vowing “all hell, like no one has ever seen before” unless the group agreed to his terms by Sunday evening.

In a Truth Social post, he accused Hamas of decades of violence, citing the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, and claimed over 25,000 of its fighters had already been killed.

Yet, he also offered a way out, saying Hamas militants would be spared if they accepted the pact. “There will be peace in the Middle East one way or the other,” Trump warned.