Gaza City was rocked by heavy Israeli bombardment on Wednesday as Hamas weighed US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan aimed at ending nearly two years of war in the Palestinian territory, AFP reported.
Trump has given Hamas an ultimatum of three or four days to accept the proposal, which calls for a ceasefire, the release of hostages within 72 hours, Hamas’s disarmament, and a gradual Israeli withdrawal.
A Palestinian source close to Hamas told AFP that the movement had not yet made a final decision and would likely need two to three days. The source added that Hamas wanted amendments to specific clauses, most notably the requirement to disarm and the exclusion of Hamas from future governance.
Disarmament dispute
According to Palestinian sources cited by AFP, Hamas has conveyed to mediators that it demands international guarantees for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and assurances that Israel will not violate any ceasefire through targeted killings of its leaders inside or outside the territory.
With all-or-nothing Gaza plan, Trump turns tables for Israel
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.”
Israeli strikes in Gaza kill at least 16 as the world awaits Hamas' response to Trump's peace plan
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”.
Trump gives Hamas ultimatum on Gaza deal
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.
–With input from AFP