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Hamas officials said Friday the group needs additional time to study U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end nearly two years of war in Gaza, despite a three-to-four-day deadline issued by the president earlier this week.
A Hamas official told AFP on Friday, "Hamas is still continuing consultations regarding Trump's plan... and has informed mediators that the consultations are ongoing and need some time." The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
The proposal, backed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calls for an immediate ceasefire, release of all Israeli hostages within 72 hours, Hamas's disarmament, and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
The plan includes a post-war transitional authority headed by Trump himself through a new international monitoring body.
Trump issued the detailed plan on Sept. 29, giving Hamas an ultimatum of "three or four days" to accept. World powers, including Arab and Muslim nations have welcomed the proposal.
Mohammed Nazzal, a member of Hamas's political bureau, told Doha-based Al Jazeera television on Thursday, "Hamas is discussing the plan seriously, regardless of the many reservations we have." In a Friday statement, Nazzal said, "The plan has points of concern, and we will announce our position on it soon."
"We are in contact with mediators and with Arab and Islamic parties, and we are serious about reaching understandings," he added, emphasizing Hamas is seeking agreements "away from the pressure of time and threats."
A Palestinian source close to Hamas leadership recently told AFP that the group "wants to amend some of the clauses such as the one on disarmament and the expulsion of Hamas and faction cadres." Hamas leaders seek "international guarantees for a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip" and guarantees against assassination attempts inside or outside the territory, the source added.
Another source familiar with negotiations indicated the group is split over Trump's plan. The source close to the group's leadership said, "Two opinions exist within Hamas."
"The first supports unconditional approval, as the priority is a ceasefire under Trump's guarantees, with mediators ensuring Israel implements the plan," the source told AFP.
"The second has serious reservations regarding key clauses, rejecting disarmament and the expulsion of any Palestinian from Gaza. They favour conditional approval with clarifications reflecting Hamas's and the resistance factions' demands," the source added.
Hamas leadership is structurally divided between officials in Gaza and those abroad, particularly in Qatar, which has served as a key mediator with Egypt and the United States throughout the conflict.
Much of Hamas's leadership has been eliminated in Israeli attacks during the war.
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