Hamas is expected to reject Donald Trump’s plan for peace in Gaza,
The Telegraph reports.
A senior figure within the terror group said the 20-point proposal “serves Israel’s interests” and “ignores those [interests] of the Palestinian people”.
In what could be a sign that Hamas intends to hold on to power in the Strip, the source told the BBC that the group would probably not agree to hand over its weapons and the group objected to the deployment of an international stabilisation force.
Both are key conditions of Mr Trump’s plan. Other points in the plan include releasing all the hostages, both dead and alive, within 72 hours of a ceasefire, and freeing more than 2,000 Palestinians from Israeli jails.
Asharq Al-Awsat, a Saudi Arabian newspaper, also reported that a source close to Hamas suggested the group may ask for “adjustments” on the timetable of the hostage release.
Hamas’s potential rejection of the plan dampens Monday’s upbeat White House press conference, when Benjamin Netanyahu publicly accepted Mr Trump’s plan, which has the backing of multiple Arab and other Islamic countries.
The proposal has garnered broad support across mainstream Israeli politics, and even Mr Netanyahu’s ultra-nationalist coalition partners – although critical of the plan – have not yet said they will oppose it.
On Tuesday, Mr Trump warned Hamas he would give them only “three or four days” to respond. The president also backed on Monday an escalation of Israel’s offensive in Gaza if the deal is rejected.
Against the diplomatic backdrop, Israel is continuing the campaign.
