Hamas Responds to Trump’s Gaza Plan: Open to Key Points, Firm on Core Palestinian Principles

The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has issued a detailed response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed plan for the future of Gaza, expressing conditional approval for several key elements while firmly rejecting others that touch on Gaza’s governance and the movement’s role after the war.

In its official statement released Friday, Hamas said it was open to an agreement that ensures a full ceasefire and complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, diverging from Trump’s plan, which calls for a phased pullout tied to specific security conditions. The group emphasized that any ceasefire must be accompanied by a total end to Israeli military presence, not a step-by-step process.

On the sensitive issue of hostage and prisoner exchanges, Hamas confirmed its readiness to release all Israeli captives — both alive and deceased — as outlined in the U.S. proposal, which calls for the handover of hostages within 72 hours of Israel’s acceptance. In return, Israel would release 250 Palestinians serving life sentences and 1,700 detainees from Gaza, along with an exchange of 15 Palestinian remains for every Israeli body. However, Hamas conditioned its participation on what it described as “favorable field conditions,” without further clarification.

The movement welcomed the humanitarian and reconstruction clauses of the Trump plan, which include the rehabilitation of Gaza’s infrastructure, hospitals, and bakeries, to be managed under the supervision of the United Nations and the Red Crescent. Yet, it rejected any provision implying the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, stressing that “no one will be forced to leave their homeland.” The U.S. plan, however, frames such departures as voluntary, with an option to return later.

The major sticking point centers on Gaza’s post-war governance. Trump’s proposal suggests forming a transitional Palestinian committee of independent technocrats, overseen by an international body led by Trump himself and including global figures such as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Hamas, in contrast, insists that Gaza’s administration must arise from a “national Palestinian consensus” with Arab and Islamic support, free from direct foreign oversight.

The group also rejected any clause that excludes Hamas from future governance, asserting that internal Palestinian leadership decisions “must be determined through a collective national dialogue.” The statement notably avoided references to disarmament or amnesty for its fighters — two pivotal conditions in Trump’s plan, which demands the demilitarization of Gaza and a safe corridor for those who surrender their weapons.

Concluding its message, Hamas reiterated its commitment to further negotiations through mediators and reaffirmed its loyalty to the unified Palestinian national position, signaling both a tactical openness and a firm stance on sovereignty.