Modi Welcomes Gaza Peace Progress

In a post on X, PM Modi said, "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."

Earlier on Saturday (local time), US President Donald Trump thanked world leaders for their support in bringing an end to the crisis in West Asia and said he looked forward to seeing the hostages back home.

Trump said, "I look forward to having the hostages come home to their parents and having some of the hostages, unfortunately, you know the condition they're in, come home likewise to their parents because their parents wanted them just as much as though that young man or young woman were alive. So I just want to let you know that this is a very special day, maybe unprecedented in many ways."

In his concluding remarks, the US President said, "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."

His video remarks came shortly after Trump wrote on Truth Social, "Based on the Statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE. Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the hostages out safely and quickly! Right now, it's far too dangerous to do that. We are already in discussions on details to be worked out. This is not about Gaza alone, this is about long sought PEACE in the Middle East."

The Times of Israel reported on Friday that Hamas had submitted its response to US President Donald Trump's proposal for ending the Gaza war. Hamas declared it is prepared to release all remaining hostages under the terms laid out in the plan and is ready to immediately enter negotiations with mediators to discuss the details.

The report added that talks still need to be held regarding the identities of around 2,000 Palestinian security prisoners and the bodies of slain Gazans, which would be released in exchange for the 48 hostages, of whom 20 are believed to be alive.

The White House on Monday (local time) released a peace plan to end the two-year-old Gaza conflict following a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The peace plan calls for Gaza to become a deradicalized, terror-free zone that does not threaten its neighbors and will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza. If both sides agree to the proposal, the war will immediately end, Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed line to prepare for a hostage release, all military operations will be suspended, and battle lines will remain frozen until conditions are met for a complete staged withdrawal.