US President Donald Trump’s new plan to end the war in Gaza is essentially an ultimatum to Hamas to release hostages, give up weapons and surrender – or face the full force of the Israeli army with Washington’s explicit blessing.
Trump said Israel would have his “full support to complete its task” if Hamas rejects the offer, at a time when Israeli troops and tanks are now in the center of Gaza City, from which 800,000 Palestinians have fled.
In this sense, the proposal is familiar – and has been repeatedly rejected by Hamas during the war.
Israel has stated for most of the last two years that the war could end tomorrow if Hamas returned the hostages, disarmed and went into exile. The new approach also makes no substantive, direct proposal for the establishment of a Palestinian state, a goal that much of the world supports.
Trump’s plan, announced at a joint White House press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, does indeed have new elements, including the offer of amnesty to any Hamas member who surrenders his weapons and commits to coexistence.
It also moves away from Trump’s previous idea of driving Gazans into exile, while promising a huge increase in aid and global participation to rebuild the devastated coastal region.
The key question is whether Hamas leaders feel defeated and pressured enough to finally accept a proposal they have long rejected. Hamas, which the U.S. and the European Union label a terrorist organization, sees itself as a resistance movement dedicated to the destruction of Israel.
Mediators Egypt and Qatar have handed the US proposal to Hamas, according to Al Qahera TV channel. The organization has yet to announce whether or not it will accept it.
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