The media reports that mediators have communicated with the leader of Hamas’s military faction in Gaza, who has expressed his opposition to the new US ceasefire proposal.
Izz al-Din al-Haddad is believed to assert that the strategy aims to eliminate Hamas, regardless of the group’s acceptance, and is thus resolute in continuing the struggle.
US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to conclude the conflict, which Israel has already endorsed, mandates the disarmament of Hamas and prohibits its future involvement in the governance of Gaza.
Some members of Hamas’s political leadership in Qatar are said to be amenable to adopting it with modifications; however, their influence is constrained due to their lack of authority over the hostages held by the organisation.
It is estimated that 48 captives remain, of which only 20 are presumed to be alive.
A further obstacle for certain members of Hamas is that the plan mandates the surrender of all captives within the initial 72 hours of the truce, therefore relinquishing their sole leverage.
Despite Trump’s assurance that Israel would adhere to the terms, there exists a significant distrust among the group regarding Israel’s commitment to refrain from resuming military operations after the hostages are secured—especially following its recent attempt to assassinate Hamas leadership in Doha via an airstrike, in defiance of the United States.
Certain Hamas officials are said to oppose the deployment of what the plan designates as “a temporary International Stabilisation Force” to Gaza by the US and Arab governments, perceiving it as a novel kind of occupation.
Furthermore, a map detailing the proposed incremental Israeli force withdrawals from Gaza, disseminated by the Trump administration, illustrates what it designates as a “security buffer zone” along Gaza’s borders with Egypt and Israel.
The method of administration remains ambiguous; nonetheless, Israel’s involvement is likely to be a source of dispute.
Moreover, following his endorsement of the plan on Monday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has seemingly resisted many stipulations.
In a video disseminated on X, he asserted that the Israeli military will maintain a presence in some areas of Gaza and that Israel declared it would “forcibly resist” the establishment of a Palestinian state.
This contravenes the stipulations of the US framework, which mandates that Israeli soldiers depart entirely, save for a security perimeter that will persist until Gaza is adequately secured against any potential resurgence of terrorism.
The document states that with completion of the plan, a “credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood” may emerge.
Hamas has repeatedly stated it will not disarm until a sovereign Palestinian state is created.
The Israeli military initiated a campaign in Gaza following the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, resulting in around 1,200 fatalities and 251 individuals held hostage.
According to the Hamas-operated health ministry in Gaza, a minimum of 66,225 individuals have perished due to Israeli assaults on the region during that time.
