Emmanuel Thomas l Monday, Sept 29,2025
JERUSALEM—Senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Mardawi has vehemently rejected the latest peace proposal put forward by President Donald Trump, describing it as an attempt to stifle growing international support for a Palestinian state.
In a sharply worded public statement, Mardawi dismissed the plan—which reportedly details a staged ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal from parts of Gaza, and a transitional governance body—as “vague and unsecured.”
”What happened was an attempt to bury the international momentum and the recognitions of the Palestinian state,” Mardawi asserted, alluding to the recent diplomatic shifts that have seen several nations formally recognize Palestinian statehood amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The Trump administration’s plan, which has also been subject to internal debate among key Arab and Muslim states, reportedly outlines the demilitarization of Gaza and the end of Hamas’s rule in exchange for a full ceasefire and aid.
While specific details of the latest iteration of Trump’s proposals have been circulating through regional mediators, they generally align with earlier efforts that the Palestinian leadership, including Hamas, had previously rejected for favoring Israeli security demands and failing to meet core Palestinian political aspirations.
Mardawi underscored the group’s non-negotiable demands for any future agreement.
“We will not accept any proposal that does not include the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and protect them from massacres,” he declared.
The comments come at a critical juncture as regional and international efforts intensify to broker a lasting ceasefire and secure the release of remaining hostages, with the Trump plan being the latest high-profile initiative seeking to chart a post-war path for the Gaza Strip.
Mardawi’s swift and categorical rejection signals a significant hurdle for the proposal’s success, highlighting the deep chasm that remains between the parties on fundamental issues of sovereignty and political rights.
