Hamas asks for more time to analyze Trump's Gaza plan

Hamas needs more time to study the Gaza peace plan presented by Donald Trump and supported by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a leader of the Palestinian Islamist movement told AFP on Friday.

On Tuesday, the US president gave Hamas an ultimatum of "three or four days" to accept his plan aimed at ending nearly two years of war in the Palestinian territory.

"Hamas is continuing to consult on Trump's plan (...) and has informed the mediators that consultations are ongoing and that more time is needed," the senior Hamas official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The plan outlined by the US president calls for a ceasefire, the release of Israeli hostages within 72 hours, the disarmament of Hamas and the gradual withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza.

Supported by several Arab and Western countries, the plan presents some unknowns, such as the timetable for Israeli withdrawal and the method of disarming Hamas.

Mohamad Nazal, a member of Hamas's political council, said in a statement Friday that the plan had some concerns.

"We are in contact with the mediators and the Arab and Islamic parties, and we are very serious about reaching an agreement," he explained. "We will announce our position soon."

“Places of death”

The Palestinian Civil Defense, a relief force under the authority of the Hamas government, reported intense Israeli shelling and artillery fire on Gaza City.

The Israeli army launched a major air and ground offensive in September to capture Gaza's largest urban center, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee to the southern part of the Strip.

Due to media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing many areas, AFP was unable to independently verify details provided by the Civil Defense or the Israeli army.

UNICEF spokesman James Elder said there was no safe place for Palestinians ordered to evacuate Gaza City and that Israel's designated zones in the south were "places of death."

After almost two years of war – which erupted with the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 against southern Israel – demonstrations are increasing around the world, and in the last 24 hours the protests have focused on the interception of a flotilla to Gaza .

Global Sumud (Arabic for "resilience") left Barcelona in September with activists like Greta Thunberg to bring aid to this Palestinian territory, which, according to the UN, is suffering from severe famine.

The Israeli Navy began intercepting vessels approaching Gaza on Wednesday and detaining more than 400 activists on board, and on Friday stopped Marinette, the last boat remaining at sea.

Israel announced on Friday that it has begun deporting the flotilla activists, including four Italian citizens.

“Two opinions” within Hamas

Amid anticipation over Hamas's response, Hugh Lovatt, a researcher at the European Council on Foreign Relations, explained that Qatar can pressure the movement, but "ultimately, it's not just about convincing Hamas leaders in Doha, but also the leaders in Gaza and Hamas members and fighters in Gaza."

A Palestinian source close to the Hamas leadership told AFP on Wednesday that the group "wants to change some of the clauses, such as disarmament and the expulsion of Hamas leaders and factions."

It also wants "international guarantees of a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip" and that there will be no assassination attempts against them inside or outside the territory, this source detailed.

Another source close to the negotiations explained to AFP that “there are two opinions within Hamas” .

"The first supports unconditional approval, since the priority is a ceasefire under Trump's guarantees," he noted.

"The second contains significant reservations regarding some key clauses, rejecting disarmament and the expulsion of any Palestinians from Gaza. It opts for conditional approval with clarifications that reflect the demands of Hamas and the resistance factions," he said.

The war began with Hamas's unprecedented attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli data.

The Israeli retaliatory offensive killed at least 66,225 people, according to figures from the Hamas government's Health Ministry, which the UN considers reliable.