In the end, Hamas had no choice but to respond positively to US president Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza.
Hamas was told by Mr Trump that it had to accept his proposal “unconditionally, or you face obliteration.” This has, so far, meant the devastation of Gaza, a huge death toll and ruination of Palestinians which Hamas claims to serve.
Unwilling to trust the US or Israel, Hamas has called on the international community to “force the occupation government to fully implement the demands of the agreement and not allow it to evade or delay the implementation of what was agreed.”
Israel accepted ceasefires in November and January but returned to war rather than engaging in negotiations for an end to the war and withdrawal from Gaza.
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Most Palestinians in the strip want an end to this war, even if this is at Hamas’s expense. Many blame the group for the death and devastation they have suffered during the war launched by Israel in retaliation for the October 7th, 2023 attack on southern Israel by Hamas which killed 1,200 and abducted 250.
Hamas’s popularity in Gaza was declining at the time it launched this operation and may have contributed to the decision to mount it.
Gazans are tired, thirsty and hungry after two years of constant warfare which has forced the displacement of 90 per cent of Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians, Israel’s systematic destruction of their homes and blockade of water, food and fuel.
[ Road to peace in Gaza littered with potential potholesOpens in new window ]
The resistance movements have lost popular support they once enjoyed.
Hamas has also come under strong pressure from allies Qatar, Egypt and Turkey which have been driven to act by Washington, which insisted that Israel and Hamas must accept the plan.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the second-largest resistance faction, has also agreed to the Trump plan. The PIJ said: “We emphasise the enormous sacrifices made by the Palestinian people, and the courage and bravery of its fighters on the ground who confronted the enemy forces and showed unprecedented courage in combat.”
Hamas and Islamic Jihad have had to admit they cannot use force to resist regional superpower Israel which enjoys the full backing of the United States in war and peace.
By accepting the peace deal, Hamas must disarm, demobilise its military wing, and cede all roles in governing Gaza once the war ends. Implementing these requirements will finish Hamas. Whether this phase of the peace plan comes to pass, as planned, remains to be seen.
The West Bank-based Palestinian Authority – which is mired in mismanagement and corruption – has also been excluded from governance in Gaza. It has been told it must reform but could eventually take over from a proposed interim committee of Palestinian technocrats who would administer Gaza for a year, in preparation for elections in both Gaza and the West Bank.
This could unite the two wings of still occupied Palestine and could prepare for the possible emergence of a Palestinian state – in theory, at least. For now, there is a long road to travel before Israel and Palestine approach that juncture.
[ What do we know about Trump’s Gaza deal?Opens in new window ]
