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Hamas consenting to free the remaining captives, albeit subject to negotiations and certain conditions being met, will give genuine hope to the relatives in the Israeli state who have been desperate for this type of news for a considerable period

In its official communication addressing the US peace proposal, the organization agreed to "free all Israel's prisoners, both alive and deceased, in line with the exchange arrangement contained in the US President's plan, provided the field conditions for the swap are met"

That framework, detailed by President Trump at the US capital earlier this week, proposes an swift end to the hostilities and the handover within 72 hours of all living Israel's captives held by the group – as well as the bodies of individuals thought to be no longer alive – in exchange for hundreds of imprisoned Palestinian people

There are believed to be forty-eight captives still being held in the Gaza Strip by the militant faction, only twenty of whom are thought to be surviving

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The acceptance by the faction of an additional essential element of the US ceasefire proposal, the idea of handing over the administration of Gaza to local technocrats, is also clearly noteworthy

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

The most notable of those is the stipulation that the organization lay down its weapons

"It marks a big day", the President says of Hamas response to truce agreement

The Israeli government will now be poring over the wording of the announcement to determine the true intent

It will need to decide whether it views this as a genuine trustworthy approval of some of the central points of the agreement, or simply an effort to delay and reopen protracted negotiations

Considering that it was issued just a few hours after President Donald Trump issued his final demand for the faction to comply by the weekend deadline or face "all hell", several members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government are expected to be deeply sceptical

That is particularly true now the US president has called on the Israeli state to without delay stop the bombing of Gaza

"Based on the Communication just released by Hamas, I am convinced they are prepared for a enduring PEACE", Trump stated shortly after the Hamas message was published

"The Israeli government must immediately cease the bombing of Gaza, so that we can secure the Captives out without harm and swiftly", he added. "Right now, it's extremely dangerous to do that"

The Israelis will be displeased by the last paragraph of his statement suggesting that the faction would keep a participation in talks over the long term future of the coastal enclave

The Hamas response is important, undoubtedly. In a recorded address released later on Friday, the President declared it was a "big day" and thanked a number of countries which he claimed had assisted him put the proposal together

But there is nonetheless a huge deal of detail to be resolved before a truce in the area becomes anything like a reality. And the US leader seemed to recognize this was not a final agreement

"We'll see how it everything turns out", he commented. "It is necessary to get the final word in place and firmly established"