Hamas said on Wednesday that the ceasefire plan for Gaza offered by US President Donald Trump cannot be accepted as is. The movement requires clarifications on the end of hostilities, Israeli withdrawal and the maintenance of its resistance weapons, while leaving the possibility of negotiations if its conditions are respected.
According to a source close to Hamas cited by Xinhua, the response of the movement will depend on substantial modifications and clarifications on several essential points: the complete cessation of hostilities, the Israeli withdrawal calendar of Gaza and the guarantee of maintaining weapons of resistance.
The text, developed “in close collaboration with the Zionist entity”, has some superficial positive aspects, but above all presents serious risks for the Palestinian cause.
Hamas requires that any release of Israeli prisoners be conditioned on the effective withdrawal of Israel, in order to avoid blocking.
Regarding the reconstruction of Gaza, the movement insists that it is supervised by a Palestinian body, not by an international council.
Resistance and governance: red lines
Hamas considers that the disarmament of resistance constitutes an “existential” question. The movement affirms that he cannot reject the plan as a whole, but he will insist on revisions and guarantees concerning governance, security and the maintenance of arms.
For Palestinian analyst Hani Al-Masri, director of the Masarat Center in Ramallah, the plan presents “serious dangers”. According to him, he grants Israel immediate gains, while the Palestinians obtain only vague and distant promises.
He warns that this plan could prolong the occupation, transform Gaza into an international protectorate and durably compromise the solution to two states.
