Hamas’ military chief in Gaza, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, has just thrown a wrench into President Trump’s bold bid to end the bloodshed in the region, as the Daily Mail reports.
The head of Hamas’ armed wing, known for orchestrating the brutal attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, has outright dismissed Trump’s 20-point peace plan, insisting on continuing the fight against Israel, while internal divisions within Hamas and pushback from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threaten to derail the entire effort.
Let’s rewind to Monday, when Trump unveiled this ambitious plan, already endorsed by Israel, aiming to halt the conflict in Gaza with a tight deadline of just three to four days for Hamas to sign on.
The proposal demands Hamas disarm, release all hostages within 72 hours, and accept a ceasefire, while Israel would free Palestinian prisoners and withdraw from Gaza, paving the way for a transitional government under international oversight.
Al-Haddad, however, isn’t buying it, claiming the deal is a trap meant to crush Hamas whether they agree or not, according to reports from the BBC.
Trump didn’t mince words, warning of “a very sad end” if Hamas refuses, a stern reminder that patience is wearing thin for endless conflict.
Inside Hamas, the cracks are showing -- while some political leaders in Qatar are open to tweaking the plan, they hold little sway over the hostages, with 48 still in Gaza and only about 20 believed to be alive.
The 72-hour hostage release clause is a major sticking point, as it strips Hamas of its primary leverage, and distrust runs deep after an Israeli assassination attempt on senior officials in Doha last month.
Other resistance leaders suspect Netanyahu will ignore U.S. pressure and restart military operations, especially given his recent video on X declaring Israel will “forcibly resist” a Palestinian state.
Speaking of Netanyahu, despite agreeing to the plan on Monday, he’s already backpedaling, insisting Israeli forces must stay in parts of Gaza, directly contradicting the plan’s call for full withdrawal save for a security perimeter.
This isn’t just a minor quibble -- it flies in the face of the plan’s vision for a pathway to Palestinian statehood, a concept Hamas won’t even entertain without disarmament guarantees, as a source close to their leadership told AFP.
Meanwhile, Hamas negotiators in Doha, meeting with Turkish, Egyptian, and Qatari officials, are pushing for amendments like “international guarantees for a full Israeli withdrawal,” showing they’re not ready to roll over.
On the global stage, European and Middle Eastern leaders, including foreign ministers from the UAE to Pakistan, have praised Trump’s “leadership and sincere efforts” to end the war, eager to see a two-state solution emerge.
Yet, back in Israel, top ministers like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich are fuming, calling it a “historic missed opportunity” that will “end in tears” -- hardly a ringing endorsement from Trump’s supposed allies.
As Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani noted on Al Jazeera, the issue of Israeli withdrawal “requires some clarification,” a polite way of saying this deal is hanging by a thread while Hamas debates internally for “two or three days at most” to respond.
