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Hamas is expected to reject US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza. A senior official of the group described it as one that “serves Israel’s interests” while “ignoring those of the Palestinian people,” as reported by the BBC.The official indicated that Hamas is unlikely to comply with the plan’s requirement to disarm and surrender its weapons, a central condition of Trump’s proposal. The group is also reported to oppose the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) in Gaza, viewing it as a form of renewed occupation.Hamas announced on Monday that it will review Trump’s proposed peace plan for Gaza, following an initial rejection. A senior Hamas official, speaking to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said the proposal was presented to Hamas negotiators by Qatar’s prime minister and Egypt’s intelligence chief. “We will begin studying it today,” the official added.According to CBS News, Hamas representatives are expected to present their response to Qatari and Egyptian officials on Wednesday. While the group continues to reject disarmament, it has previously maintained that it retains the right to resist until the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories ends. The discussions, expected to last several days, will also involve other Palestinian factions alongside Hamas.A senior Palestinian official familiar with the Hamas talks stated that the discussions include the group’s leadership both inside and outside Gaza, though leaders outside the territory have recently been sidelined due to their lack of direct control over the hostages.Ez al-Din al-Haddad, Hamas’s military commander in the territory, is reportedly determined to continue fighting rather than accept the proposed plan. Meanwhile, the armed group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), which participated in the October 7 attack and previously held some Israeli hostages, formally rejected the plan on Tuesday.Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed Trump’s plan during White House discussions on Monday, while Hamas has yet to issue an official response.Since endorsing the plan on Monday, Netanyahu has signaled resistance to several of its terms. In a video shared on X, he emphasized that the Israeli military would continue operating in parts of Gaza and asserted that Israel would “forcibly resist” a Palestinian state.Despite Trump’s support for the plan, doubts persist over whether Israel will halt military operations once the hostages are released, especially after its recent attempted assassination of Hamas leaders in Doha, which defied the US.A Gaza map shared by the Trump administration indicates a potential buffer zone along Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, though its administration remains unclear and could become another point of dispute if Israel is involved, as cited by the BBC. Trump’s proposed 21-point peace plan urges Hamas to disarm and surrender in return for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid, and commitments to rebuild Gaza, demands urgently sought by residents of the conflict-ravaged territory, where the death toll has exceeded 66,000, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
