GAZA CITY — Hamas is signaling it will reject former U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed Gaza peace plan, with senior officials arguing the framework favors Israel while disregarding Palestinian rights.
A Hamas figure told the BBC that the group will not agree to disarm — a central condition of the plan — nor accept the deployment of an International Stabilization Force, which it views as a form of occupation. Another sticking point is the requirement to release all Israeli hostages at once, a move Hamas fears would surrender its only leverage.
Trump unveiled the plan in Washington on Monday alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who endorsed it. Yet Netanyahu has since cast doubt on key provisions, insisting Israeli forces would remain in Gaza and vowing to resist Palestinian statehood — both at odds with the plan’s promise of withdrawal and “a credible pathway” toward self-determination.
Other Palestinian factions, including Islamic Jihad, have already dismissed the proposal. Inside Hamas, discussions involve leaders in and outside Gaza, though military commander Ez al-Din al-Haddad is reportedly determined to continue fighting.
Ordinary Palestinians in Gaza express a mix of despair and reluctant pragmatism. Some say they would support almost any deal if it ended the war. “Even if the devil himself brought a plan to end this hell, I would support it,” resident Khadar Abu Kweik said.
Palestinian journalist Fathi Sabah warned that rejection could hand Netanyahu justification to escalate. “People are devastated, exhausted, desperate,” he said. “They want a ceasefire now, at any cost, even though they know the plan serves Netanyahu’s interests.”
The conflict has raged since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Since then, more than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes, according to Gaza’s health ministry, amid mounting international alarm over famine and alleged war crimes.
