


Hamas officials said Tuesday the Palestinian militant group will take time to study President Trump’s proposal to end the war in Gaza and consult allies before issuing a response, The Associated Press reported.
The 20-point plan, outlined by the president and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, garnered early support from many Arab and Muslim world leaders, increasing the pressure on Hamas and Israel to commit and follow through with a deal to end the nearly two-year conflict.
If accepted, Trump would head a “board of peace” to oversee the postwar transition and Gaza reconstruction, with Israel pulling back its military in phases.
For Hamas, the group would need to commit to laying down arms and giving up control of the Gaza Strip. For Israel, it would need to agree to a credible pathway for a Palestinian state — which Netanyahu has thus far rejected.
Negotiators in Qatar and Egypt sent Hamas the proposal after Netanyahu said he supported the agreement. Trump and the Israeli leader vowed to “finish the job” against the militant group if it does not accept a deal.
“Israel would have my full backing to finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas, but I hope that we’re going to have a deal for peace,” Trump said Monday. “And if Hamas rejects the deal, which is always possible … as you know, [Netanyahu], you’d have our full backing to do what you would have to do.”
The Pakistani, Indonesian, Egyptian, Jordanian, Emirati, Turkish, Saudi and Qatari foreign ministers backed the plan as long as it creates a road for a Palestinian state, unifies Gaza and the West Bank and stops Israeli’s annexation of any territory.
In their joint statement, the ministers acknowledged the proposal was a work in progress.
“The ministers affirm their readiness to engage positively and constructively with the United States and the parties toward finalizing the agreement and ensuring its implementation, in a manner that ensures peace, security, and stability for the peoples of the region,” they wrote.