Netanyahu and Trump admire the "Fight fight fight" image from Butler Penn / Whitehouse.gov, public domain

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – A senior Hamas official told the BBC on Wednesday that the group is likely to reject U.S. President Donald Trump’s newly unveiled 20-point ceasefire and peace proposal for Gaza, saying the package “serves Israel’s interests” and “ignores those of the Palestinian people.”

According to the BBC, the official rejected core conditions in the plan, including a requirement that Hamas disarm and hand over its weapons and the deployment of an International Stabilization Force (ISF) in the Gaza Strip — which Hamas regards as a new form of occupation. The official also said Hamas would be unlikely to accept an immediate release of the remaining hostages, which the BBC described as the group’s principal bargaining chip.

President Trump presented the plan at a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and warned Hamas it had “three or four days” to accept. Trump declared that if Hamas refuses, it would “pay in hell.” He told Netanyahu that Israel would have full U.S. backing to continue operations in Gaza and “finish the job” of destroying Hamas if the group rejects the proposal. Netanyahu echoed the warning, saying Hamas could choose the “easy way or hard way” going forward.

Adding to the pressure, the terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) also denounced the U.S. proposal. PIJ Secretary-General Ziyad al-Nakhalah said the plan was a “formula for perpetuating Israeli aggression against the Palestinian nation.” He accused Israel of attempting, with U.S. support, to enforce by diplomacy what it could not achieve through military action. “Consequently, we view the U.S.-Israeli declaration as a catalyst for escalating conflict in the region,” al-Nakhalah said in a statement.

Two Trump administration sources told i24NEWS that the plan is not open to renegotiation: technical clarifications may be discussed, but rejection of the substance of the 20 points would be treated as rejection of the entire package. That posture is intended to force a swift yes-or-no response from Hamas, officials said.

The BBC’s reporting that Hamas is likely to refuse contrasts with earlier accounts from other outlets suggesting a more mixed reaction: a CBS report cited sources saying Hamas and other Palestinian factions were reviewing the proposal “responsibly” and weighing their response. Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other groups were reported to be consulting with Hamas as part of efforts to reach a unified national reply .

Qatar, Egypt and Turkey have urged Hamas to accept the plan, Axios reported, with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani telling Hamas leaders he had secured the best deal he could and warned it would not improve. Palestinian voices called for all factions and the Palestinian Authority to cooperate on a collective response, saying the proposal affects the wider Palestinian people, not just one group.

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