Hamas wants amendments to some of the clauses in US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan if they are to respond positively, media reports said on Friday. The Islamic outfit is against its disarmament and the expulsion of its cadres from the Strip and has sent its negotiators in Doha to speak with Turkish, Egyptian and Qatari officials, these reports added.
The Hamas leadership wants "international guarantees" over a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza and the safety of their leadership and cadres from assassination attempts from Mossad and other Tel Aviv-linked agencies anywhere in the world.
As per the reports, Hamas has yet to reach a consensus on the matter and remains undecided. While a faction is pushing for complete acceptance of the peace deal pitched by the US President, others equate disarmament to the surrender of Palestinian resistance against Zionism. The nay-sayers think unless amendments are made, the deal will ultimately legitimise the occupation of Gaza by Israel.
Here are the other concerns of Hamas factions regarding Trump's peace proposal for the Gaza Strip:
- The call for Hamas leaving the Strip along with Israel Defense Forces (IDF) personnel to be replaced by the so-called International Stabilization Force who will take control of Gaza.
- The need to release all 48 Israeli hostages within the first 72 hours of the agreement coming into effect. They need more time to exhume the remains of the slain hostages from burial sites across Gaza before being returned.
- The lack of clarity over the time period for IDF's complete withdrawal from Gaza.
- While talking about its disarmament, defensive and offensive weapons need to be categorically separated. Some units of the outfit believe they have a right to hold on to defensive weapons even with a peace deal in place.
Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza
Hamas is facing growing pressure from all corners to sign on to President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza. A combination of direct military threats, diplomatic isolation and the catastrophic humanitarian crisis affecting the territory after nearly two years of sustained conflict have put Hamas clearly on the backfoot.
[The following sentence fragment needs context/subject added, assuming a figure presented the deal] and Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, have personally presented the deal to Hamas’s leadership. Al-Thani reportedly told Hamas officials that this was “the best deal he was able to get for them” and warned that it “won’t get much better”. This message appears to reflect a shared international view that this might be the final opportunity for Hamas to secure a negotiated end to hostilities.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza provides perhaps the most urgent reason for Hamas to consider the deal. The territory is in shambles after waves of air strikes and ground invasions. Gaza is also witnessing one of the worst humanitarian crises in history. Many Gazans are reportedly supportive of the plan, if only because it promises an end to the bloodshed. Residents have described their homeland as “virtually wiped out” and fear that continuing the conflict will destroy what little remains. Many feel desperate, exhausted and hopeless, and believe the fighting must stop immediately, even if the proposed plan is seen to favour Israeli interests.
