Hamas agreement to release all hostages is just a ‘smart way’ to reject Trump deal, say analysts

The Hamas statement does, in fact, insist on the terrorists being part of a future Gaza government. 

It refers to “a unified Palestinian movement, of which Hamas will be a member and to which it will contribute responsibly”.

Joe Truzman, senior research analystat the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, a US think tank, said: "At its core, Hamas sidestepped the central question in the cease-fire proposal: disarmament. By refusing to address the issue that determines its very survival, the group effectively left the deal’s most important obstacle unresolved.

“For that reason, Washington and Jerusalem should interpret Hamas’ response less as an acceptance than as a de facto rejection of the Trump plan.”

Trump’s plan, as originally set out, requires:

• An immediate end to the war in Gaza.
• The disarmament of Hamas by an international, Arab security force within a time-bound framework. Hamas terrorists who agree to these terms will receive safe passage to exit the Strip.
• The release of thousands of Palestinian terrorists, including 100 to 200 prisoners with blood on their hands.
• The resumption of unrestricted aid delivered into Gaza by international organisations and the UN, including the closure of the US-based Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The international force will temporarily administer civilian issues in Gaza, with the Palestinian Authority eventually taking over.
• The reconstruction of the Gaza Strip over a five-year time span, led by an international and Arab consortium.

The United States will have guarantees in place that Israel does not apply sovereignty to the West Bank, with both Israeli and Palestinians agreeing to resume negotiations over a peace agreement that would end the decades-old conflict.

The Washington Post also reported that it obtained a copy of the plan, providing additional details. These include the destruction of all Hamas's offensive weaponry, the release within 48 hours of all 20 living hostages and the bodies of the more than two dozen captives believed dead, and the freezing of "battle lines in place".