Hamas Plays Games with Trump’s Gaza Plan

The clearest acceptance came in the matter of hostages. Hamas has told mediators that it is prepared to release all remaining Israeli hostages, both alive and dead, under Trump’s plan. That is the one point that has drawn international attention, because it removes one of the last excuses Hamas has used to justify its war footing. But beyond that, the group is hedging. Reports from Arab outlets indicate that Hamas is also willing to hand over civil administration of Gaza to Palestinian technocrats, another step that signals at least partial compliance with the Trump blueprint.

At the same time, Hamas has refused to accept unconditional disarmament. Its spokesmen have told Arab journalists that while the group is prepared to discuss a ceasefire and limited withdrawal, it will not dissolve its military wing or renounce what it calls resistance. Some factions inside Gaza are openly rejecting the plan altogether, highlighting the cracks that remain even within the militant camp.

Egypt has been pushing Hamas hard to accept the deal, with Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry personally urging them to take the plan and disarm. Cairo is playing mediator, insisting that there are gaps and loopholes but framing acceptance as the only path out of endless war. Arab media is blunt: one Palestinian source said that agreeing to the plan would be a disaster but rejecting it would be another disaster. That kind of fatalism is the reality Hamas faces as Trump sets his deadline.

The former president has given Hamas until Sunday at six in the evening Washington time to agree. His warning was clear that all hell would follow if they refused. It is classic Trump bluster but it carries weight when the entire Middle East is on edge and Israel’s patience has worn thin. Hamas knows that the Americans have put the pressure on Egypt, Qatar and Turkey to get them in line, but it is still maneuvering to avoid being seen as surrendering.

For Israel and for Jews around the world the stakes could not be higher. A partial acceptance from Hamas does not mean peace. It means delay. It means more blood later on. If Hamas keeps its weapons and its ideology intact, then any talk of peace is a lie. This is not about a few clauses in a political plan, this is about whether the most entrenched terror organization in the region is finally broken or allowed to regroup under the cover of diplomatic process.

The world will find out in hours if Trump’s deadline forces Hamas into a corner or if this latest exercise in shuttle diplomacy is just another reminder of how deep the rot has spread. For now, Hamas plays games, Israel prepares, and Jews brace for what comes next.