Hamas says Trump's Gaza peace plan needs 'substantial amendments'

GAZA -- The Gaza ceasefire plan proposed by US President Donald Trump requires "substantial amendments," a source close to the movement said on Wednesday.

The source told Xinhua that Hamas' response is likely to depend on "substantial amendments and clarifications," particularly on issues of ending the war, Israeli withdrawal, and the future of resistance weapons.

Hamas has been discussing the US proposal internally and with allied Palestinian factions for two days. Most factions rejected the plan in statements on Tuesday.

According to the source, the plan was drafted "in close cooperation with Israel" and contains "some superficial positives," but also "serious risks that undermine the core of the Palestinian cause."

The source said Hamas demands clarity on a complete cessation of hostilities, with international guarantees to prevent renewed attacks, as well as a clear timetable for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

He stressed that disarming the resistance is considered an "existential issue" for the movement.

On the issue of Israeli captives held by Hamas, the source said any release must be linked to the withdrawal process "to prevent Israel from halting implementation after receiving its prisoners."

The source also noted that Gaza's reconstruction should be managed by a Palestinian body rather than an international council.

He added that the current draft is "fundamentally different" from the version Trump presented to Arab and Islamic leaders in Washington last month, saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had made "major changes."

"Hamas cannot reject the plan entirely," but will insist on clarifications and guarantees regarding ending the war and withdrawal, along with revisions to points related to governance and weapons, said the source.

Ramallah-based Palestinian political analyst Hani al-Masri, director of the Masarat Center for Policy Studies, warned that the US plan in its current form "carries serious risks."

"It grants Israel immediate and certain gains, while giving Palestinians only vague and delayed promises," al-Masri told Xinhua.

He said the proposal could serve as "a cover for prolonged occupation and turning Gaza into an international protectorate."

He added that the plan should only be approached "with conditional acceptance and guarantees," otherwise it would be "a recipe for new colonialism that eliminates the two-state solution."