A wave of shock and disbelief has swept through Gaza following US President Donald Trump’s apparent endorsement of Hamas’s response to his peace proposal for the region. Palestinians in Gaza have flooded social media and messaging apps with questions about the future, wondering if the conflict is truly nearing an end. The rapid developments have left many struggling to comprehend the potential shift in the long-standing conflict.
Hamas’s official statement, carefully worded and reportedly drafted with the assistance of mediators, offered a qualified agreement. The movement accepted key aspects of Trump’s plan, including the release of Israeli hostages and the transfer of governance in Gaza to Palestinian technocrats. However, the response deliberately omitted clear answers on several other crucial elements of the 20-point proposal, a move many Palestinians view as a strategic maneuver to place the onus back on Israel.
President Trump reacted to the news via social media, expressing his belief that Hamas was ready for peace and urging Israel to cease its bombardment of Gaza. This development has been met with a spectrum of reactions among the Palestinian population, ranging from cautious optimism to deep-seated skepticism.
Some Palestinians fear that Hamas may have fallen into a trap, potentially leading to the recovery of hostages followed by a renewed escalation of hostilities. Conversely, others see this as a potentially historic opportunity to bring an end to years of conflict.
“I advise patience,” shared Ibrahim Fares with the BBC. “Don’t get carried away by optimism. There will be rounds of talks over the details. The devil is always in the detail. Look at Lebanon, where even now there are still displaced people and airstrikes.”
Mahmoud Daher commented on Facebook, highlighting the unusual directness of Hamas’s reply. “This time it was yes without the usual ‘but’ immediately after,” he wrote. “Yes to prisoner release under Trump’s formula, yes to ending the war and withdrawal, yes to handing power to a Palestinian authority. The buts came only later. Hamas even played to Trump’s ego with praise.”
However, not everyone is convinced by the development. Khalil Abu Shammala, a Gaza-based activist and known critic of Hamas, suggested the decision was driven by the movement’s need for self-preservation. “They will call this wisdom – or putting the people first. But the truth is, it’s about Hamas staying in power. I even doubt Hamas wrote the statement – it was too clever.”
As the situation unfolds, the people of Gaza remain in a state of uncertainty, anxiously awaiting whether the written words can translate into a genuine end to the war.
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