Desk Report:
The Palestinian independence group Hamas has responded positively to US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace proposal. The matter is seen as a significant step towards ending the ongoing conflict in Gaza; especially since Hamas agreed in principle to release the hostages, which has brought hope to Israeli families after a long period of frustration.
On the other hand, Hamas called on the Israeli government to “immediately stop the bombing of Gaza” when it agreed to Trump’s proposal. But despite Trump’s words, Israel has continued to bomb Gaza. According to Al Jazeera, at least 20 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since early Saturday morning local time.
As a result, the question arises, will Trump’s peace proposal bring peace to Palestine? Because several important information from Trump’s long 20-point proposal is missing from the Hamas statement, which may increase complications. The most notable of these is the condition for Hamas to disarm.
Hamas’ response, obtained by Reuters, showed that it did not agree to the terms of Gaza’s disarmament and reduction of military power. This condition has long been a demand of both Israel and the United States. Hamas has rejected such proposals before.
In addition, Hamas demanded an immediate complete withdrawal of troops from Gaza, but Trump’s 20-point plan calls for a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops. Hamas did not agree to this. A senior Hamas official made it clear to Al Jazeera that Hamas would not surrender its weapons until the Israeli occupation ended.
Hamas also said that it was ready to hand over the responsibility of administering Gaza to an independent (technocratic) Palestinian Authority formed on the basis of Palestinian national consensus and supported by the Arab and Islamic world.
They did not comment directly on Trump’s proposal to keep Hamas out of political power, but said they would “remain involved and contribute” to any future Palestinian national talks.
Meanwhile, a Hamas delegation is set to arrive in Cairo tonight to discuss a ceasefire and hostage release deal based on President Trump’s proposal, an unnamed source told Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hadath TV network. If the talks are successful, a lasting ceasefire and humanitarian access to Gaza will be ensured. Nothing can be said before then, but the complexities of the peace proposal are emerging.
