Hamas officials are signaling that they will reject President Donald Trump’s recently announced Gaza peace plan, calling it biased toward Israel and dismissive of Palestinian interests. In an interview with the BBC, a senior Hamas figure said the 20-point proposal “serves Israel’s interests” while ignoring the needs of the Palestinian people. Central to their opposition is the plan’s demand that Hamas disarm and surrender its weapons, as well as provisions for an International Stabilization Force in Gaza, which the group views as foreign occupation. While Trump unveiled the initiative in Washington alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—who gave it his full support—Hamas has yet to issue a formal response, though Qatar said the group is reviewing it.

Beyond Hamas, other Palestinian factions, including Islamic Jihad, have already rejected the deal outright. Internal divisions within Hamas itself complicate matters further, with its Gaza-based military leadership reportedly determined to continue fighting rather than compromise. The proposed release of all Israeli hostages, which Hamas leaders view as forfeiting their strongest bargaining tool, and the creation of a buffer zone along Gaza’s southern border with Egypt are additional sticking points. Meanwhile, distrust of Israeli intentions remains high, with Hamas pointing to recent attempted strikes on its leadership abroad as proof of bad faith. On the ground, some Gaza residents reluctantly voiced support for the plan as a path to peace, while others warned that outright rejection could invite harsher Israeli and Western retaliation.

SOURCE: World Israel News