Qatar, Egypt Present U.S.-Backed Gaza Ceasefire Plan to Hamas
DOHA/WASHINGTON/GAZA CITY – Mediators from Qatar and Egypt have delivered a 20-point ceasefire proposal to Hamas, hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood alongside U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington to endorse the plan.
The proposal, which Hamas was not directly involved in drafting, demands the militant group’s disarmament — a condition it has long rejected. Despite this, a source briefed on the talks told Reuters that Hamas would “review it in good faith and provide a response.”
Key Features of the Plan
The document outlines an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas’s disarmament, and the creation of a transitional government under international oversight.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said several Arab leaders had already endorsed the plan. “We’re just waiting for Hamas,” he noted, giving the group three to four days to respond. He warned that if Hamas refused, “it’s going to be a very sad end.”
Hamas insiders, however, criticized the proposal as “completely biased to Israel,” arguing it left Palestinians without genuine political rights.
Regional Pressure on Hamas
Despite its reservations, Hamas faces mounting pressure. Foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, and Egypt have all welcomed the plan. Turkey, which has not previously played a major mediating role, is also joining the talks in Doha.
It remains unclear if Hamas officials will attend the meeting. The last time the group’s leaders gathered in Qatar to discuss a U.S. peace initiative, Israel attempted — unsuccessfully — to target them with an airstrike. Netanyahu later apologized to Qatar for that September 9 attack, according to the White House.
Although Netanyahu publicly backed Trump’s proposal, he has since raised concerns over parts of the plan, especially any reference to Palestinian statehood — an outcome he has consistently opposed. The Israeli leader is also under growing domestic pressure, balancing calls from the public to end the war with demands from far-right coalition partners to avoid concessions.
War Continues in Gaza
On the ground, Israel has intensified its offensive. Troops advanced into central Gaza City on Tuesday, with Netanyahu calling it Hamas’s “last bastion.” Israeli warplanes also dropped new leaflets urging residents to evacuate southward, declaring: “The battle against Hamas is decisive and will not end until it is defeated.”
For many Palestinians, Trump’s plan raises cautious hopes but also deep skepticism. “We want the war to end, but we want the occupation army that killed tens of thousands of us to leave us alone,” said Salah Abu Amr, 60, from Gaza City. “We hope the plan will end the war, but we are not sure it will — neither Trump nor Netanyahu can be trusted.”
The conflict erupted after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault on Israel, which killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Since then, Gaza health authorities report more than 66,000 deaths from Israel’s retaliatory campaign.
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