An unnamed senior Hamas official said that this armed and political organization will probably reject the peace plan for Gaza proposed by the United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump because, he says, “it serves the interests of Israel” and “ignores the interests of the Palestinian people.”
Trump met over the weekend with Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, after which they announced a plan for ending the war and a post-war Gaza with which, besides Israel, other Muslim and Arab countries also agree.
What is still awaited is Hamas’s response, which is in an awkward position given that the plan is extremely unfavorable to them and that they will likely be labeled as responsible for the Israeli destruction of the Palestinian people if they reject it, given Trump’s and Netanyahu’s announcements that they will “go all the way” in case of rejection.
The official said that Hamas will likely not agree to disarmament, which is one of the key conditions of Trump’s plan. He states that Hamas also opposes the deployment of International Stabilization Forces in Gaza and considers that a new form of occupation.
Hamas’s talks about the agreement are expected to last several days and involve leaders inside and outside Gaza, as well as other Palestinian factions.
The group’s military commander in that territory, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, is believed to be determined to continue fighting instead of accepting the offered plan. Others, however, feel threatened because they do not have direct control over the hostages and therefore lack the ability to make a decision about the agreement.
The hostages are precisely the key stumbling block, given that the agreement requires Hamas to hand over all hostages at once, which would mean losing their only bargaining chip in negotiations. In addition, there is fear that Israel will continue attacks after it finally receives the hostages back.
The map of Gaza, as well as Netanyahu’s statements after his return to Israel, do not help Hamas to give a positive response to the proposed agreement. The map shows a buffer zone for which it is not clear who will control it, and Netanyahu even claims that the Israeli army could remain in parts of Gaza, which is contrary to the conditions of Trump’s plan.
The Israeli prime minister also stated that he will “strongly resist” the creation of a Palestinian state, which makes the already fragile provisions of the agreement on establishing Palestine even less favorable.
Inside Gaza, Palestinians mostly supported the plan, but only because it would bring them peace. However, Netanyahu’s statements have shaken Palestinians’ trust in this agreement.
Palestinian journalist Fathi Sabah said: “The rejection by Hamas, God forbid, would mean giving Netanyahu the green light to continue the war with American and Western support, in order to destroy what remains of Gaza and the central region.”
