Hamas says Trump’s Gaza Plan ‘leans toward Israel’ but vows to ‘examine’ it amid global praise for peace proposal

After U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a plan to end the Gaza War on Monday evening, spokesmen for the terror organization Hamas said they hadn’t received the proposal yet.

Senior Hamas official Muhammad Mardawi told the Qatari Al Jazeera channel that the peace plan is biased toward Israel while stressing that no Palestinian group has received the plan in a written form.

“What was said at the press conference [regarding the plan] leans toward the Israeli perspective; it is close to what Netanyahu insists on in order to continue the war,” he said.

However, Mardawi added, “we need to receive this plan in written and clear form before we respond to it. The plan must be in the hands of Hamas and the Palestinian organizations.”

President Donald J. Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict:

1. Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors.

2. Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough.

3. If… pic.twitter.com/veqhr9MW28

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 29, 2025

Another senior Hamas official, Taher al-Nounou, told Al Araby TV, “We do not wish for the war to continue. We will examine any proposal that does not conflict with the interests of the Palestinians.”

A Palestinian source told the Saudi channel Al-Sharq that Hamas’ negotiation team informed the mediators that it would conduct in-depth internal discussions within the leadership and with other Palestinian terror groups.

The plan includes guarantees by several Arab countries, including Qatar, making it highly unlikely that Hamas leaders based in Doha haven’t at least received the outline of the proposal.

In addition, the White House published the full text of the 20-point plan on Monday evening.

While Hamas continued to play for time, the peace plan received universal praise in the hours after its presentation.

Israel’s President Isaac Herzog said he welcomed the proposal, which “offers real hope for the release of the hostages, for ensuring the security of Israel, for ending the war, and for changing the reality in the Gaza Strip and the Middle East toward a new era of regional and international partnership.”

“Now the entire world must set a clear and immediate condition – that the terrorist organization Hamas agree to the plan set out by President Trump, and allow a future of hope for the peoples of the region,” Herzog stated.

Trump’s plan envisions the creation of an international “Board of Peace” and a “temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee,” which would take over governance of Gaza.

This, crucially, is contrary to the demands of the Palestinian Authority, which claimed the right to run Gaza after the war. However, its deputy chairman, Hussein al-Sheikh, in a post on 𝕏 welcomed “the sincere efforts of the President of the United States to end the war.”

“We express our confidence in the ability of the President of the United States to find a path to peace,” he wrote.

“We renew our shared commitment with the United States and all partners to end the war and reach a comprehensive agreement and a just peace based on the two-state solution. We affirm our constructive and positive engagement to achieve an agreement and ensure its implementation in a way that brings security, stability, and peace to the peoples of the region.”

However, Mahmoud al-Habbash, an advisor to PA President Mahmoud Abbas, reiterated the PA’s official stance that it remains “the only legitimate entity” that should be present in the Gaza Strip. Speaking on Egyptian television, al-Habbash added that there may be some flexibility related to the governance of the PA but stressed that the Gaza Strip is part of the land of the “State of Palestine,” which the PA claims to rule.

Joint Statement by the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Qatar, and Egypt. pic.twitter.com/XDqgHxNkGd

— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) September 29, 2025

In a joint statement, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt also welcomed the peace plan.

Reactions from European countries were positive as well. France’s President Emmanuel Macron, fresh off of recognizing the “State of Palestine” at the UN, said he welcomed the plan but added he expects “Israel to engage resolutely on this basis.”

“Hamas has no choice but to immediately release all hostages and follow this plan. These elements must pave the way for in-depth discussions with all relevant partners to build a lasting peace in the region, based on the two-state solution and on the principles endorsed by 142 UN member states, at the initiative of France and Saudi Arabia. France stands ready to contribute. It will remain vigilant regarding the commitments of each party,” he wrote on 𝕏.

Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, praised the plan as a possible “turning point” in the region.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also lauded the new plan: “We call on all sides to come together and to work with the US Administration to finalize this agreement and bring it into reality,” he said. “Hamas should now agree to the plan and end the misery by laying down their arms and releasing all remaining hostages.”

Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said the plan "presents a unique opportunity to end the horrific war in Gaza."

"Finally, there is hope for both Israelis and Palestinians that this war could soon come to an end. This opportunity must not be squandered. Hamas must seize it. I urgently call on all those who have influence over Hamas to act now," he stated.

"Next Tuesday marks the second anniversary of the horrific terrorist attack of October 7. We will remember the murdered. The hostages still in the hands of Hamas could already be free on that day – if all parties now summon the courage to take the final, decisive step. This agreement could pave the way for a broader reconciliation process in the Middle East. This opportunity must be seized."