Hamas’ top military commander in Gaza is urging the terror group to reject President Trump’s cease-fire framework, pushing negotiators to abandon the deal, according to reports.
Ezz al-Din al-Hadad, a senior figure who played a role in the October 7, 2023, terror attacks, condemned President Trump’s 20-point peace plan as a strategy designed to dismantle Hamas without advancing its goals, the BBC reported.
Al-Hadad, who holds control over 48 remaining hostages, reportedly told Hamas’ negotiating team in Qatar that he intends to continue the war with Israel, marking the most forceful rejection yet of Trump’s proposal. The president’s framework, presented earlier this week, demands Hamas accept the terms by the end of the week.
While some Hamas political leaders have signaled openness to parts of the deal — particularly if it included steps toward Palestinian statehood — they wield far less influence than al-Hadad, whose forces and the hostages serve as Hamas’ primary leverage. Of the 48 hostages still held in Gaza, intelligence suggests only about 20 remain alive.
Al-Hadad, known as the “Ghost of al-Qassam,” rose to Hamas’ top leadership role in Gaza after Israel killed previous chiefs Yahya Sinwar, the October 7 mastermind, and his brother Mohammed Sinwar. Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which joined Hamas in orchestrating the October 7 attacks and kidnappings, has also rejected Trump’s peace initiative, claiming it favors Israel.
President Trump’s proposal calls for an immediate cease-fire, the release of all hostages, a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas, and the creation of a transitional government overseen by an international coalition.
Hamas has previously shown limited willingness to consider similar terms but has consistently refused full disarmament without a guaranteed path to Palestinian statehood. The group has also rejected the idea of a transitional government, framing it as another form of foreign occupation.
Complicating matters further are remarks from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who declared on social media that Israel’s military will maintain a presence in parts of Gaza and enforce a security zone to prevent what he described as “a Palestinian state imposed by force.”
President Trump has warned Hamas that it must deliver a formal response to the peace deal by Friday or Saturday. He cautioned that rejecting the proposal would bring the group “a very sad end.”