KEY POINTS
- The Palestinian group wants “international guarantees for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza”
- Hamas is split over Trump’s plan
- Trump gives Hamas 3–4 days to accept the Gaza peace plan
DOHA: Hamas officials are seeking amendments to the disarmament provisions in US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, a Palestinian source close to the group’s leadership said on Tuesday, after negotiators held talks in Doha with officials from Turkiye, Egypt, and Qatar.
The Palestinian source, cited by AFP, said that Hamas negotiators held talks in Doha yesterday with officials from Turkiye, Egypt, and Qatar, and are expected to deliver a response within “two or three days at most.”
Trump’s proposal includes the disarmament of Hamas and a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. However, the Palestinian source, cited by AFP, said that Hamas is pushing to revise clauses related to disarmament and the expulsion of its members and other faction cadres.
Hamas leaders also want “international guarantees for a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip” and guarantees that no assassination attempts will be made inside or outside the territory.
It is pertinent to mention that six people were killed last month in an Israeli strike targeting Hamas officials who were meeting in Doha to discuss a previous ceasefire proposal. According to reports, Hamas is also engaging with “other regional and Arab parties,” though no further details were provided.
Another source familiar with the talks told AFP that the Palestinian group was split over Trump’s plan.
“So far there are two views within Hamas: the first supports unconditional approval because the important thing is to have a ceasefire guaranteed by Trump, provided that the mediators guarantee Israel’s implementation of the plan,” the source said.
Trump gives Hamas ‘Three or Four Days’
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday gave Hamas an ultimatum of “three or four days” to respond to his Gaza peace plan, warning of severe consequences if the Palestinian group rejected the proposal.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said Israeli and Arab leaders had already accepted the framework, leaving Hamas with what he described as a critical choice. “Hamas is either going to be doing it or not, and if it’s not, it’s going to be a very sad end,” he said.
Asked whether there was room for negotiations, Trump replied: “Not much.”
Regional mediation efforts
Qatar, which hosts Hamas’s exiled leadership, said on Tuesday that it had delivered the proposal to Hamas negotiators along with Egypt and Turkiye.
Foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told reporters in Doha that Hamas had promised to study the plan “responsibly” and that talks were ongoing with Egyptian and Turkish officials.
Israeli position
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced support for the plan alongside Trump in Washington, but later appeared to temper expectations. In a video statement, Netanyahu said Israel would retain a military presence in most of Gaza and rejected the idea of a Palestinian state.
“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 said.
