People in Gaza have reacted with shock after U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to welcome Hamas's response to his peace plan for the territory. Hundreds of Palestinians flooded social media with questions like: Has the war ended? and Is this a dream or reality? The pace of developments overnight has left many struggling to grasp what comes next.
The movement's carefully crafted statement—thought to have been drafted with mediators—did not outright reject the proposal but offered a qualified yes. Hamas accepted Trump's terms for the release of Israeli hostages and the notion of handing over the governance of Gaza to Palestinian technocrats, albeit without a clear response to many other elements of his 20-point proposal. This calculated reply put the ball back in Israel's court.
Soon after its publication, Trump stated on social media that he believed Hamas was ready for peace and called on Israel to halt the bombing of Gaza. Reactions among Palestinians ranged from hope to deep suspicion. Some fear Hamas may have fallen into a trap, potentially allowing Israel to reclaim its hostages only to resume hostilities, while others see a historic opportunity to end two years of conflict.
Ibrahim Fares advised patience, urging caution against excessive optimism, as he predicted that negotiations over the details would be forthcoming. The devil is always in the detail, he cautioned. Mahmoud Daher noted the unusual directness in Hamas's response, stating that it seemed to cater positively to Trump's ego.
However, not all voices in Gaza are convinced. Khalil Abu Shammala, a Gaza-based activist and long-time Hamas critic, argued that the decision was primarily about the movement's survival, suggesting that the statement may not have even originated from them. They will call this wisdom, he commented, but the truth is, it's about Hamas staying in power. For now, uncertainty prevails among Palestinians as they await whether words on paper can genuinely bring an end to the conflict.
