As Monday’s critical meeting approached, the world watched to see if President Trump would finally exert enough influence on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring an end to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
In a surprising outcome, Netanyahu secured virtually every demand in Trump’s peace proposal. This included an ultimatum for Hamas to immediately release all hostages and disarm, effectively granting Israel a free hand to continue its military operations in Gaza should these conditions not be met.
The plan further stipulated that Israeli forces would maintain their presence around Gaza’s perimeter indefinitely. The aspirations for Palestinian statehood received only a perfunctory mention, implying such a goal remains a distant dream. Crucially, the Palestinian Authority was sidelined, with no immediate role in Gaza’s future governance.
This marked a significant, albeit unexpected, triumph for Netanyahu, demonstrating his continued ability to achieve his objectives even amidst increasing global isolation. This diplomatic victory came just days after several European nations recognized a Palestinian state against Israel’s wishes, and a notable diplomatic walkout left Netanyahu addressing a largely empty United Nations chamber.
Later that Monday, flanked by President Trump, Netanyahu publicly lauded the U.S.-backed framework, asserting it met his specific demands for concluding the conflict with Hamas. Notably, several Arab and Muslim nations, alongside the Palestinian Authority, signaled their apparent acceptance of the plan.
However, Hamas was entirely excluded from any future role in governing the Gaza Strip—a critical detail that had remained ambiguous in prior peace efforts, now made unequivocally clear.
Now, Hamas leadership faces a difficult choice: embrace Trump’s plan, seek to renegotiate its stringent terms, or outright reject it. Each path presents substantial risks for the Palestinian armed group, which has endured two years of relentless Israeli offensive through persistent insurgency tactics.
Accepting a deal that effectively demands their surrender of governance in Gaza would be a profound challenge for Hamas.
Yet, rejecting a clear route to peace risks further alienating a Palestinian population already exhausted and infuriated by two harrowing years of violence and destruction. A growing number of Gazans already accuse Hamas of prioritizing its own political survival over the well-being of its people.
According to Ibrahim Madhoun, a Palestinian analyst with close ties to Hamas, the Trump plan’s fundamental premise of “excluding Hamas” makes it exceedingly difficult for the group to consider. Hamas officials have consistently stated that provisions like disarming would be an unacceptable red line.
Madhoun noted that Hamas might still agree to the proposal, or at least accept it as a foundation for future negotiations, to secure an end to the war. However, he emphasized that many of the plan’s twenty other clauses were remarkably ambiguous, necessitating extensive and prolonged discussions to clarify.
“Each clause is a veritable minefield, demanding its own distinct agreement,” Mr. Madhoun said.