A senior Hamas figure has told the BBC that the group is likely to reject Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, saying it “serves Israel’s interests” and “ignores those of the Palestinian people”.
The figure said that Hamas is unlikely to agree to disarming and handing over their weapons – a key condition of Trump’s plan.
Hamas is also said to object to the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) in Gaza, which it views as a new form of occupation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted Trump’s plan during White House talks on Monday. Hamas has not yet given an official response.
Qatar’s foreign ministry has said Hamas is studying the White House proposal “responsibly”.
A senior Palestinian official with knowledge of Hamas talks told the BBC they involve the group’s leadership both inside and outside of Gaza.
The group’s military commander in the territory, Ez al-Din al-Haddad, is thought to be determined to keep fighting rather than accept the plan on offer. Hamas figures outside Gaza have recently found themselves sidelined in discussions as they do not have direct control over the hostages.
Hamas talks, which are expected to take several days, also include other Palestinian factions.
The armed group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), which took part in the 7 October attack and previously held some Israeli hostages, rejected the plan on Tuesday.
For Hamas, a key sticking point is thought to be that the plan requires them to hand over all of the hostages in one go – giving away their only bargaining chip.
Even with Donald Trump’s backing for the plan, there is a lack of trust that Israel will not resume its military operations once it has received the hostages – particularly after it attempted to assassinate Hamas leadership in Doha earlier this month, in defiance of the US.
Additionally, a map of Gaza shared by the Trump administration shows what appears to be a planned buffer zone along Gaza’s southern border with Egypt. It is unclear how this would be administered, but if Israel is involved it is also likely to be a point of contention.
Further, since agreeing to the plan on Monday evening, Netanyahu has appeared to push back on several of the terms it outlines.
In a video shared on X, he insists that the Israeli military would be able to remain in parts of Gaza and that Israel said it would “forcibly resist” a Palestinian state.
This goes against the terms of Trump’s framework, which stipulates complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and says that once the plan is complete there may be a “credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood”.
Within Gaza, Palestinians were broadly supportive of the plan, but only because it would lead to an end to the war.
Resident Khadar Abu Kweik told the BBC: “The American plan has bad clauses, but I support it because it will stop the war and get rid of Hamas. Even if the devil himself brought a plan to end this hell we are living in, I would support it.”
Palestinian journalist Fathi Sabah said: “A Hamas rejection, god forbid, would mean giving Netanyahu a green light to continue the war with American and Western backing, to destroy what remains of Gaza and the central region.”
“The people of Gaza cannot bear that. They are devastated, exhausted, desperate and hopeless,” he said.
“They want a ceasefire now, not tomorrow, at any cost, even though they know the plan serves Netanyahu’s interests, is full of pitfalls, and does not reflect their aspirations,” he added.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 66,097 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
In August, a UN-backed body confirmed that famine was taking place in Gaza City. Earlier this month, a UN commission of inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza – which Israel strongly rejects.
