Desk Report:
The Palestinian independence group Hamas has agreed to accept some of the main conditions of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan to end the two-year war in Gaza. Immediately after Hamas’s formal response, President Trump ordered Israel to immediately stop bombing Gaza. However, the main complications related to the disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli troops remain unresolved.
President Trump has been claiming himself as the only person capable of bringing peace to Gaza. He has invested significant political capital in ending the war. He is also in the running for the Nobel Peace Prize. The war has increasingly isolated Israel on the world stage and has killed thousands of people.
According to a report by the Reuters news agency, Trump gave Hamas until Sunday to accept his 20-point plan, warning of dire consequences if it fails. Hamas responded on Friday with its formal response. In response to Hamas, Trump expressed optimism that Hamas was “ready for a lasting peace.” In a tweet on Truth Social, he directly pressured the Netanyahu government, writing, “Israel must immediately stop bombing Gaza so that we can get the hostages out safely and quickly!” The president added that this initiative is not just about Gaza, but also about “establishing the long-awaited peace in the Middle East.”
Hamas responded by saying that they “applaud the efforts of the Arab, Islamic and international worlds, as well as US President Donald Trump, to end the war, exchange prisoners and allow immediate humanitarian access.” They said they would agree to the transfer of all prisoners, both living and dead, under Trump’s proposed prisoner exchange terms, subject to the necessary on-the-ground conditions to implement these proposals. They confirmed their readiness to be part of the negotiations through mediators to begin detailed discussions on the deal.
Although the hostage release agreement has been reached, major disagreements remain over some of the key terms of the deal. Hamas’ response, seen by Reuters, said it had not agreed to the terms of Gaza’s demilitarization and reduction of military power, long-standing demands by both Israel and the United States. Hamas has rejected such proposals before.
Hamas has also demanded an immediate complete withdrawal of troops from Gaza, while Trump’s 20-point plan calls for a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops. Hamas has not agreed to this. A senior Hamas official told Al Jazeera that Hamas would not surrender its weapons until the Israeli occupation ends.
Hamas also said it was ready to hand over Gaza’s administration to an independent (technocratic) Palestinian Authority formed on the basis of Palestinian national consensus and supported by the Arab and Islamic worlds.
However, they did not directly address 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, despite President Trump’s order to Israel to stop the bombing, the current picture in Gaza is different. Residents said that Israeli tankers bombed Talatini Street, the heart of Gaza City, even after Trump’s message was released. Even within an hour of Hamas’s statement, Israeli military aircraft intensified their attacks on several houses in the Remal neighborhood of Gaza City. Attacks were also reported in Khan Yunis. The Israeli government has not yet officially commented on Hamas’s partial agreement and Trump’s directive. However, Yair Lapid, the leader of the opposition in the Israeli parliament, has called on Prime Minister Netanyahu to quickly start negotiations to finalize the details of the agreement.
In short, since October 7, 2023, Prime Minister Netanyahu has been in a difficult political crisis domestically. On the one hand, there is growing pressure from the families of the hostages and the war-weary general public to end the war; on the other hand, his hard-right coalition partners are adamant in their demands that the operation in Gaza be relaxed in any way.
French President Emmanuel Macron has stressed the urgent need to implement Hamas’s commitments. Italy, the UK and several other European countries have welcomed Hamas’s agreement. The mediator country Qatar has said it is continuing discussions with Egypt and the US on Trump’s Gaza plan.
It should be noted that the war began after the last Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. According to Israeli data, about 1,200 people were killed in that attack and 251 were taken hostage. Israel says that 48 hostages are still being held in Gaza, of whom 20 are believed to be alive. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed so far in Israel’s ongoing operation, most of them civilians. Last month, a UN commission of inquiry accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza.
