Ceasefire or Cover? Hamas Rejects U.S. Plan

Hamas’s rejection of the latest U.S. ceasefire proposal represents a principled stand against diplomatic theatre designed to legitimise Israeli aggression while offering Palestinians nothing but temporary respite from their ongoing oppression.

Hamas political bureau member Basem Naim told the Reuters news agency that the deal “does not meet any of our people’s demands, foremost among them, halting the war.”

“Nonetheless, the movement’s leadership is studying the response to the proposal with full national responsibility,” Naim added.

Rejecting False Solutions

Hamas’s decision to reject Steve Witkoff’s proposal should be understood within the context of decades of failed negotiations that have consistently favoured Israeli maximalist positions.

The organisation has learned from bitter experience that accepting flawed frameworks often legitimises the status quo while providing Israel time to consolidate territorial gains and strengthen its military position.

The current U.S. proposal, like its predecessors, seems to offer Israel security while asking for Palestinian concessions without addressing the fundamental causes of the conflict: occupation, siege, and systematic dispossession.

Hamas has witnessed how previous ceasefire agreements became tools for Israeli military planning rather than genuine peace processes.

The organisation’s leadership recognises that accepting inadequate terms now would weaken their negotiating position for future discussions while failing to secure meaningful relief for Palestinians.

Akiva Eldar, an Israeli political analyst, told Al Jazeera it was “unusual” for Israel to come out and agree to a proposal first, and that Netanyahu may be betting on the plan being impossible for Hamas to accept so that he can paint them as the “bad guys” and continue the war.

“It happened before… and Netanyahu put the blame on them,” Eldar said.

But how can Washington expect Hamas to trust American mediation when America remains Israel’s primary enabler?

The Siege Context

Any honest assessment of Hamas’s position must acknowledge the context of the siege that has turned Gaza into an open-air prison. Israel has also imposed a deadly, months-long blockade on humanitarian aid entering the Palestinian enclave, which UN officials say has pushed the population to the brink of famine.

The blockade constitutes collective punishment that violates international law and has created the humanitarian crisis that ceasefire negotiations purport to address.

The international community’s failure to enforce existing legal frameworks has created the current impasse. The organisation’s rejection serves notice that Palestinians will not surrender their rights for temporary relief.