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The Palestinian faction consenting to release the remaining captives, although subject to negotiations and certain conditions being fulfilled, will give real hope to the family members in Israel who have been desperate for this type of news for a very long time

In its statement responding to the US ceasefire initiative, the organization agreed to "release all Israel's detainees, both alive and deceased, according to the exchange formula outlined in the US President's plan, on condition the field circumstances for the swap are satisfied"

That formula, detailed by Trump at the US capital earlier this week, envisions an swift end to the fighting and the handover within three days of all living Israeli captives held by the group – as well as the bodies of hostages believed to be no longer alive – in exchange for a large number of imprisoned Palestinian people

There are believed to be 48 captives still being kept in the Gaza Strip by the militant faction, only twenty of whom are thought to be alive

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The acceptance by the faction of another essential element of the American peace proposal, the concept of transferring the administration of Gaza to Palestinian experts, is also clearly significant

But there are numerous of other aspects of the comprehensive, twenty-part proposal that are conspicuous by their absence

The most prominent of these is the stipulation that the organization surrender its weapons

"This is a major development", Trump remarked of the group's response to truce agreement

The Israel's leadership will now be scrutinizing the wording of the statement to determine the underlying meaning

It will have to determine whether it views this as a sincere trustworthy approval of some of the central provisions of the deal, or simply an effort to buy time and resume protracted discussions

Considering that it came just a short time after the US leader issued his final ultimatum for the faction to comply by Sunday evening or face "serious consequences", several officials of the Israeli premier's cabinet are expected to be highly sceptical

That is especially true now the US president has called on the Israeli state to immediately halt the airstrikes of the territory

"In light of the Statement just released by Hamas, I believe they are prepared for a lasting PEACE", Trump stated soon after the Hamas statement was released

"The Israeli government must promptly stop the military strikes of the region, so that we can secure the Hostages out without harm and quickly", he added. "Right now, it's extremely risky to do that"

The Israelis will not like the last section of his announcement implying that the faction would keep a role in talks over the long term future of the coastal enclave

The Hamas response is important, no doubt. In a video message broadcast later on Friday, the President said it was a "big day" and expressed gratitude to a number of countries which he said had helped him develop the initiative together

But there is nonetheless a huge deal of specifics to be resolved before a truce in the area becomes remotely close to a reality. And the president seemed to recognize this was not a final agreement

"We'll see how it all unfolds", he commented. "We have to finalize the definitive terms down and concrete"