Qatar and Egypt have formally delivered President Donald Trump’s proposal to end the Gaza war and secure the release of hostages to Hamas, setting the stage for the terrorist group’s leadership to weigh a deal that could halt nearly two years of fighting.

Hamas officials signaled they are prepared to study the American plan seriously, though they stressed they had no role in drafting it and tied any agreement to longstanding political demands. Taher al-Nono, a media adviser to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, said the group views its weapons as non-negotiable absent the creation of a Palestinian state.

“The release of the Israeli hostages is contingent on ending the war and the withdrawal of IDF forces from the Gaza Strip,” al-Nono told Al-Araby. He added that Hamas is willing to consider a multi-year ceasefire, has accepted an Egyptian proposal for an independent Gaza administration, and is open to cooperating with the Palestinian Authority in forming a national consensus government.

The language marks one of the clearest indications yet that Hamas is contemplating concessions, though al-Nono cautioned the group would evaluate the U.S. initiative “in a way that ensures the rights and interests of the Palestinians.”

Even as Hamas left the door open, Islamic Jihad leader Ziyad Nakhala rejected the U.S. initiative outright. He called the plan unveiled last week by Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “an American-Israeli agreement that fully reflects Israel’s position” and “a recipe for igniting the region.”

The split underscores the uncertainty facing the White House effort: Trump’s proposal hinges on a unified Palestinian response, the release of Israeli hostages, and a phased Israeli withdrawal under international supervision.

The handoff of the plan by Egypt and Qatar — the two governments most central to mediating between Israel and Hamas — gives the proposal new momentum, even as skepticism lingers in both Jerusalem and Gaza. For Hamas, the calculus blends pressure from the war with the chance to extract political gains, from reconstruction aid to recognition of Palestinian governance.

Whether Hamas accepts the framework will determine if Trump secures a rare breakthrough in a conflict that has outlasted U.S. presidents and reshaped global politics.

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