Hamas has yet to respond to US President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly endorsed it on Monday.
The plan calls for:
- A ceasefire.
- Release of hostages by Hamas within 72 hours.
- Disarmament of Hamas.
- Gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
- A post-war transitional authority headed by Trump himself, with participation from figures such as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egypt’s intelligence chief Hassan Mahmoud Rashad met with Hamas negotiators and presented the plan. A Hamas official said they would review it “in good faith” before giving a response.
Netanyahu, in a video statement after his joint press conference with Trump, said:
- Israel’s military would remain in most of Gaza.
- Israel would not agree to a Palestinian state.
- All hostages would be recovered “alive and well.”
“If Hamas rejects your plan, Mr President, or if they supposedly accept it and then basically do everything to counter it, then Israel will finish the job by itself,” Netanyahu warned.
Trump insisted peace was “beyond very close,” describing the proposal as a “bold and intelligent” solution. He assured Israel of his “full backing” if Hamas rejected the plan.
Reactions were divided:
- Egypt and Qatar praised the “sincere efforts.”
- Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and EU chief Antonio Costa voiced strong support.
- In Gaza, residents expressed scepticism, calling the plan “unrealistic” and unlikely to be accepted by Hamas.
- Islamic Jihad denounced it as a US-Israeli attempt to impose war outcomes.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces continued airstrikes and operations across Gaza, with the military reporting over 160 targets hit in the past 24 hours.
The war, triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1,219 people, has left at least 66,055 Palestinians dead, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health officials and UN-verified figures.
