A day after US President Donald Trump unveiled a plan to halt the war in Gaza, endorsed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, attention turned to Hamas, whose response could determine the plan’s fate.
Sources inside the movement told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hamas was still debating its stance. While senior figures described the proposal as “unjust and biased,” they said the group would nevertheless deal with it “with absolute positivity.”
Trump’s plan, announced in Washington on Monday, calls for the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the dismantling of Hamas’ military capabilities. Trump hailed the blueprint as a “historic day for peace in the Middle East,” linking its success to an expansion of the Abraham Accords and stressing the “great support” it had received from regional leaders.
The most sensitive element is the demand that Hamas disarm, a point Trump and Netanyahu highlighted in their announcement after they met at the White House.
Hamas sources complained the US plan gave Israel wide latitude over the pace of its pullout from Gaza and offered no binding guarantees. They said the group might propose minor adjustments concerning the release of Israeli captives and the recovery of bodies, citing logistical challenges in retrieving remains buried under rubble from air strikes.
The sources added that Trump’s proposed 72-hour deadline for such exchanges was unrealistic and that Hamas wanted more time. They said the group would agree to free 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life terms, describing the figure as acceptable.
Divisions in Hamas
Qatar said on Tuesday it was hosting discussions with Hamas, Türkiye and Egypt on the US proposal.
The negotiating delegation from Hamas has promised to study the plan responsibly, Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told reporters in Doha on Tuesday, adding that another meeting with Turkish officials was scheduled later in the day.
Since receiving the plan, Hamas has held overnight meetings and circulated the document to other factions for input, the sources said. Mediators have pressed the group to respond within two days, though Hamas insists it is not bound by a deadline.
Insiders said leaders in Gaza had urged the movement’s external leadership to deal positively with Trump’s proposal in order to end the war. They noted that the military wing, the Qassam Brigades, also signaled support, a position earlier backed by slain commander Mohammed al-Sinwar before his killing in June.
But other figures dismissed the plan as deceptive, accusing Washington of seeking a personal achievement for Trump and aiming mainly at securing the release of hostages before Israel resumes its offensive by other means.
Local leaders and civic figures inside Gaza have meanwhile urged Hamas to engage with the plan to spare further suffering. Khan Younis mayor Alaa al-Batta, a local Hamas official, called on the group via Facebook to approve Trump’s proposal immediately, likening the step to “drinking poison.”
He urged the formation of a broader Palestinian negotiating team under the Palestinian Authority, backed by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye, to seek improvements and guarantees. If no deal is reached, he suggested Hamas hand over Gaza’s file to an Arab-Islamic committee led by Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
