Hamas welcomes Trump's call to end attacks on Gaza, urges stepped-up pressure on Israel

Hamas on Monday welcomed remarks by US President Donald Trump calling on Israel to halt its attacks on the Gaza Strip.

"The remarks confirm President Trump's commitment to the ceasefire track," Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said in a statement.

He also called on the US leader to "pressure the [Israeli] occupation government to abide by what was agreed upon to begin the second phase of Trump's Gaza peace plan."

The statement comes amid ongoing Israeli ceasefire violations-including airstrikes, shelling and gunfire-that have continued to kill Palestinians throughout the enclave on an almost daily basis.

Earlier Monday, Trump said that Israel "should not be striking in Gaza," noting that Hamas had agreed to lay down its arms if Israel carried out its obligations under the peace plan.

Trump added that the US maintains a separate channel of communication with Hamas, going on to assert that "ultimately, they [Hamas] are giving up their guns."

His remarks come as Washington pushes efforts to implement Trump's Gaza peace plan, which includes the disarmament of Hamas and an Israeli military withdrawal from the embattled Palestinian enclave.

According to estimates, Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and injured over 174,000-mostly women and children-and destroyed 90 percent of Gaza's infrastructure.