Gaza at a Crossroads: Hamas Seeks Amendments to Trump Peace Plan Amid Complex Regional Dynamics

Amidst the intricate Palestinian and regional landscape, discussions are intensifying regarding the future of the Gaza Strip and the stance of the Hamas movement on the peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump. The plan has sparked significant controversy within the movement and among Palestinian factions, against a backdrop of ongoing Israeli field pressure and vigorous regional and international mediation efforts to finalize a position.

Dr. Hussam Al-Dajani, Professor of Political Science at Al-Ummah University in Gaza, notes that Hamas faces "difficult and complex" choices. , he explains that both accepting and rejecting the paper are challenging, because "time is not on the Palestinians' side, and our people are being annihilated daily." Al-Dajani asserts that Hamas's core desire is a ceasefire, but the primary obstacle repeatedly stalling any agreement is the clause on "disarmament."

Al-Dajani points out that the Trump plan contains clear contradictions, particularly in Article 9 concerning sovereignty and armament. While he believes the issue of arms can be debated "if a Palestinian state is achieved," as Hamas leaders have previously indicated, the conflicting texts that merge principles from the "New York Declaration" and the "Deal of the Century" require clarification. He emphasized that the plan is "bigger than Hamas" and must involve the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and all national frameworks, anchored in a unified Arab position.

Regarding the plan's economic dimension, Al-Dajani acknowledges that the paper offers Gaza "development, prosperity, and a decent life, perhaps an airport and a port." However, he warns that the national aspect of the plan aims to transform the Strip into a "secluded area, like a small Switzerland, focused only on the economy, while leaving the West Bank to Israel." Strategically, he believes accepting the plan in its current form "may threaten the Palestinian cause" in the long run.

Conversely, Gabriel Souma, a Republican Party member and former advisor to the Trump team, stressed that the US plan demands explicit commitments from Hamas. In an intervention with Sky News Arabia, he stated that the conditions include the release of all hostages simultaneously, complete disarmament, and the handover of authority to a technocratic body supervised by President Trump and Tony Blair. Souma added that the plan also stipulates a permanent Israeli military presence along the border inside Gaza, with the involvement of an Arab and Islamic force in implementing the clauses. He warned that "if Hamas does not agree to these terms, it will lose its political and military justification for existence."

Souma emphasized that the Trump plan makes no mention of a "Palestinian state," focusing instead on security, disarmament, and guaranteeing stability—a stance consistent with the firm opposition of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a Palestinian state.

Al-Dajani countered by asserting that "Resistance is an idea that cannot be ended by force, as it results from the presence of the occupation." He viewed the American paper as being "Israeli-engineered" to serve Tel Aviv's security and political interests, maintaining Gaza as a "closed canton." He cautioned that any genuine settlement must recognize Palestinian rights based on the two-state solution and international legitimacy resolutions, stressing that ignoring these foundations will inevitably lead to the plan's failure.

While Souma believes the Trump plan could end Hamas's presence should it reject the terms, Al-Dajani insists that the paper "needs fundamental amendments and national and Arab consensus" before it can serve as a basis for any settlement. Thus, Gaza remains at the heart of a difficult equation, balancing Israeli field pressure, strict American demands, and complex internal calculations for Hamas, as Palestinians and the world await the outcome of this thorny issue.