Hamas Rejects Trump’s Gaza Peace Deal, Calling the Offers “Ridiculous” and “Absurd”

The much-anticipated Gaza peace agreement appears to be on shaky ground after a senior Hamas leader told news agency AFP that the group will not attend the official signing ceremony in Egypt. The militant group reportedly has serious objections to Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan, which outlines conditions for a ceasefire and Gaza’s post-war administration.

According to a report by the Times of Israel, Hamas leaders denounced the plan’s provision requiring the group’s evacuation from the Gaza Strip as “absurd” and “unacceptable.”

“Talk about expelling Palestinians—whether they are Hamas members or not—from their own land is absurd and complete nonsense,” said Hossam Badran, a senior member of Hamas’ political bureau. He added that the second phase of Trump’s peace proposal “contains many complexities and difficulties,” predicting that negotiations would be “extremely challenging.”

Trump’s Middle East Visit and Renewed Peace Push

The remarks come ahead of Donald Trump’s planned two-day trip to the Middle East, during which the former U.S. president is expected to unveil the next stage of his Middle East peace initiative and mark the release of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza—nearly two years after Hamas’s deadly October 7 attacks.

However, major political hurdles remain. A senior Hamas official emphasized that disarmament of the group—a key requirement of the proposed peace deal—was “completely out of the question,” even if Hamas were to relinquish administrative control over Gaza.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that Israel may launch another military operation if Hamas refuses to disband. Netanyahu previously ended the last ceasefire in March, citing repeated violations by Hamas.

Partial Implementation of Trump’s Gaza Plan

Despite ongoing disputes, parts of Trump’s Gaza peace agreement have already been put into action. On Friday, Israel agreed to a temporary ceasefire and withdrew its troops from parts of Gaza, allowing thousands of displaced Palestinians to begin returning to their destroyed homes. Over the weekend, long lines of families could be seen moving north along the Gaza coast—by foot, in cars, and on carts—as relative calm held for the first time in months.

Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hamas has until Monday noon to release the remaining 47 Israeli hostages—both alive and deceased—out of the 251 hostages captured during its October 7, 2023 assault on Israel. The remains of one more hostage, held since 2014, are also expected to be returned.

In exchange, Israel will free 1,700 Gazan prisoners detained since the start of the conflict, along with 250 long-term detainees, some serving life sentences for lethal anti-Israeli attacks.

International Response and Humanitarian Crisis

After months of fierce fighting that left tens of thousands dead and most of Gaza in ruins, Israeli forces withdrew as part of the initial phase of the peace plan. While no U.S. troops will enter Gaza, the U.S. military will coordinate a multinational task force expected to include personnel from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates to oversee humanitarian and reconstruction efforts.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry—which operates under Hamas—at least 67,682 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israel’s military campaign, a figure that the United Nations considers credible. The conflict, now in its second year, has devastated civilian infrastructure, leaving millions displaced and desperate for aid.

Israel’s assault was triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israeli territory, which killed 1,219 people—mostly civilians—according to official Israeli reports. That single day marked the deadliest assault in Israel’s history and reignited a decades-long conflict over Gaza’s future.

A Fragile Path Forward

Despite Trump’s renewed push for peace, analysts warn that deep mistrust and political divisions between Hamas and Israel continue to block progress. Hamas insists it will not compromise on sovereignty or disarmament, while Israel demands the group’s complete demilitarization as a precondition for lasting peace.

As international mediators prepare for further negotiations in Cairo, the fate of the Gaza peace deal remains uncertain. For now, the war-battered enclave continues to wait—for stability, for justice, and for a peace plan that all sides can truly accept.