The leadership of Hamas is currently engaged in urgent internal consultations over a high-stakes peace proposal brokered by the United States. The deal, presented to the group via Qatar, offers a stark choice: accept the terms for a ceasefire and hostage release, or face a renewed, full-scale Israeli military offensive with Washington’s complete backing. The US administration has given Hamas a tight deadline of only a few days to deliver its response, underscoring the critical nature of the moment.
The American-backed initiative, which has received a green light from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, outlines a phased approach beginning with a 72-hour complete cessation of hostilities. During this initial pause, Hamas would be required to release 48 hostages, including both living captives and the remains of those deceased. In return, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would pull back to pre-agreed lines, halting all military actions, including air and artillery strikes, to facilitate the safe transfer.
However, the proposal is fraught with contentious clauses inserted at Netanyahu’s insistence. According to sources familiar with the negotiations, these amendments grant Israel the right to maintain an indefinite military presence in Gaza. The withdrawal of Israeli troops is tied to vaguely worded conditions dependent on Israel’s unilateral assessment of Hamas’s demilitarization. The plan also allows Israel to keep forces in a special buffer zone if it deems the ‘terrorist threat’ has not been fully eliminated, a move that has reportedly infuriated Arab mediators.
In a bid to placate Qatar, a key intermediary, Netanyahu placed a personal call to its Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, to apologize for a recent Israeli strike in Doha which inadvertently killed a Qatari security officer. Netanyahu assured Qatar that the target was Hamas, not Qatari citizens, and pledged to respect the nation’s sovereignty in the future. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry subsequently confirmed it had received security guarantees from the US and stated its primary goal was to prevent any recurrence of such ‘hostile acts.’
Internally, Netanyahu faces a severe political backlash from his far-right coalition partners, who are vehemently opposed to any deal with Hamas. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich condemned the agreement, warning it would ‘end in tears’ and accusing the government of trading tangible military gains for ‘political illusions.’ To bypass this opposition, Netanyahu reportedly approved the framework without a full cabinet discussion.
Speaking alongside US officials, Netanyahu defended the plan, arguing it aligns perfectly with Israel’s primary war aims: the return of all hostages and the complete dismantling of Hamas’s military capabilities and tunnel network. Crucially, he stressed to his domestic audience that the agreement does not pave the way for Palestinian statehood, a long-standing red line for his government, framing the deal as a strategic victory that secures Israeli interests without making major political concessions.