Hamas is expected to demand key revisions to President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan but may still accept it in the coming days as a basis for renewed negotiations, according to analysts cited by The Guardian.
Trump imposed a “three or four days” deadline from Tuesday for Hamas to respond to the proposal, which seeks to end the two-year conflict in Gaza and establish an international administration of the territory. Failure to accept the plan, Trump warned, could result in what he termed “pay in hell.”
Hamas faces tough choice
Mkhaimar Abusada, a political scientist from Gaza based in Cairo, highlighted the difficult position facing Hamas.
“If they say ‘no’, as Trump has made clear, that will not be good and will allow Israel to do whatever it takes to finish this. They will say ‘yes, but we need this and that,’” Abusada was quoted as saying by the news outlet.
Hugh Lovatt, senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, added that Hamas would struggle to accept the terms unconditionally.
“That is understandable. The text lacks details. But then anything other than total and final acceptance will be used against Hamas by Israel, the Trump administration and possibly the Europeans,” Lovatt said.
Israel backs the plan
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already accepted the Trump plan, which incorporates many of Israel’s principal demands and was formulated without consultation with Hamas. Netanyahu, wanted for alleged war crimes by the International Criminal Court, has warned that Israel would “finish the job” if Hamas rejects or delays implementing the plan.
The current war stems from a Hamas raid into southern Israel that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 hostages, with 48 still in Gaza. Israel’s offensive has killed over 66,000 people in Gaza, displaced most of the 2.3 million population, and reduced much of the territory to rubble.
Key terms of the ceasefire proposal
Trump’s plan requires Hamas to:
Release all Israeli hostages within 72 hours of a ceasefire.
Allow a gradual withdrawal of Israeli military forces to a buffer zone.
Facilitate a surge of humanitarian aid.
Accept the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, including those serving life sentences.
Sources close to Hamas noted that the lack of detail on Israeli withdrawals remains a concern, though the clear statement that Israel will not annex or occupy Gaza was welcomed.
White House statement
The White House has not yet received a response from Hamas.
“The President made it very clear he wants to hear back from them very soon,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday.
“I will leave it to the president, secretary of state, to speak on that. But we expect it and we hope that Hamas will accept the plan that was proposed by the Special Envoy. It’s a good plan, and as you know, it’s been applauded by leaders all over the world,” Leavitt added.
