Hamas official tells BBC it will reject Trump plan because it ‘serves Israel’s interests’

Hamas leaders argue that being forced to release all Israeli hostages at once would mean relinquishing their primary bargaining chip.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Hamas is signaling that it will reject US President Donald Trump’s newly unveiled Gaza peace plan, with senior figures describing the proposal as one-sided and dismissive of Palestinian concerns.

A Hamas official told the BBC that the group believes the 20-point plan “serves Israel’s interests” and “ignores those of the Palestinian people.”

He indicated that Hamas would not disarm or surrender its weapons, a central demand of the framework.

The group is also opposed to the deployment of an International Stabilization Force in Gaza, which it views as another form of foreign occupation.

Trump announced the plan in Washington on Monday alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who voiced support for the initiative.

Hamas has yet to issue a formal response, though Qatar said the group is studying the proposal “responsibly.”

Negotiations involve Hamas leaders both inside Gaza and abroad, but the group’s military commander in the Strip, Ez al-Din al-Haddad, is reportedly pressing to continue fighting rather than accept the terms.

Other Palestinian factions have already rejected the plan. Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which also participated in the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, dismissed it outright on Tuesday.

Hamas leaders argue that being forced to release all Israeli hostages at once would mean relinquishing their primary bargaining chip.

Distrust of Israel’s intentions also weighs heavily. Hamas officials fear that once the hostages are released, Israel would resume military operations, pointing to the recent attempted strike on Hamas leadership in Doha as evidence of bad faith.

A proposed buffer zone along Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, included in maps circulated by the White House, is another sticking point.

Netanyahu’s insistence that Israeli forces remain in parts of Gaza and his opposition to a Palestinian state are other reasons Hamas may not trust the plan.

Within Gaza, some residents expressed reluctant support for the deal simply as a way to end the war. “The American plan has bad clauses, but I support it because it will stop the war and get rid of Hamas,” said one resident.

Others warned that rejection would hand Netanyahu and the West a pretext to intensify the conflict.