Gaza City was engulfed by intense Israeli bombardment on Wednesday, as Hamas deliberated over U.S. President Donald Trump’s detailed 20-point peace plan aimed at resolving nearly two years of conflict in the Palestinian region, AFP reported.
President Trump has issued a pressing ultimatum to Hamas, granting them a window of three to four days to accept the proposal. This comprehensive plan advocates a ceasefire, the release of hostages within 72 hours, Hamas’s disarmament, and a phased Israeli withdrawal from contested areas.
An informed Palestinian source, closely linked to Hamas, informed AFP that the movement has not made a conclusive decision and likely requires an additional two to three days to review the proposal. The source also disclosed that Hamas seeks changes to certain conditions, particularly the mandate to disarm and their exclusion from future governance roles.
Disarmament Dispute
Reportedly, according to Palestinian sources referenced by AFP, Hamas has communicated to mediators its demand for international guarantees. These include a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and assurances that Israel will respect any ceasefire agreement by refraining from targeted assassinations of Hamas leaders both within and beyond the territory.
Trump’s plan stipulates that Hamas militants must fully disarm and will be barred from government roles, although members who accept “peaceful coexistence” would receive amnesty. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, standing alongside Trump in Washington, signalled that Israel would maintain a long-term military presence in most of Gaza and said he did not agree to the creation of a Palestinian state.
Civilian toll
As deliberations continued, Gaza’s civil defence agency, operating under Hamas authority, reported at least 13 deaths in Israeli strikes on Wednesday, including six people killed in an attack on a school-turned-shelter and seven members of one family, AFP said. Witnesses described relentless shelling across Gaza City.
“The explosions do not stop,” said 60-year-old Rabah Al-Halabi, who has been sheltering in a tent outside Al-Shifa Hospital. “All areas are dangerous, the bombing is everywhere, and displacement is terrifying and humiliating. We are waiting for death, or perhaps relief from God and for the truce to come.”
The Israeli military confirmed it had closed Al-Rashid Street, the last remaining north–south route through Gaza, to prevent movement into Gaza City, although southward evacuation was permitted.
Divisions within Hamas
Talks in Doha with Turkish, Egyptian, and Qatari officials revealed two competing views inside Hamas, AFP reported. One camp advocates immediate acceptance of Trump’s plan under international guarantees, prioritising a ceasefire. The other rejects disarmament and any forced expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza, favouring conditional approval only if the group’s core demands are recognised.
“Hamas and the factions want a ceasefire, but not at the cost of compromising national principles,” a source told AFP.
Trump’s warning was stark: Hamas must comply within days or “pay in hell”.
The war, sparked by Hamas’s 7 October 2023 assault that killed 1,219 people in Israel, has since devastated Gaza. According to health authorities in the territory, 66,097 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed, with the United Nations considering the figures reliable, AFP reported.