While U.S. and Israeli officials claim progress on the so-called Trump plan for a ceasefire in Gaza, HAMAS has stated it has received no new proposals, emphasizing that any initiative must protect the national rights of the Palestinian people.

The claims of “progress” emerged ahead of a White House meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who reportedly held a six-hour discussion with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner on the plan. Israeli media outlets, including Israel Hayom and Yedioth Ahronoth, portrayed the negotiations as “closer than ever” to an agreement. Haaretz noted that gaps between the U.S. and Israeli positions are reportedly narrowing.

Reports indicate that the Trump plan involves disarming HAMAS and placing the Palestinian Authority in charge of post-war Gaza—conditions which critics say threaten Palestinian sovereignty and the resistance’s role in defending Gaza. The Times of Israel described efforts by Witkoff to persuade Netanyahu to accept these controversial terms.

Trump claimed the negotiations were in their “final stages” and suggested the plan could foster broader regional peace, asserting, “The cooperation with Arab countries in this process has been remarkable, and HAMAS is also moving in that direction.” However, HAMAS has rejected such claims, stressing that no proposal has reached them and that any mediation would be carefully evaluated to safeguard Palestinian national rights.

Meanwhile, families of two Israeli captives held in Gaza urged Netanyahu to end military operations, calling on Trump to finalize a deal. However, a White House official acknowledged that HAMAS’s consent is essential for any legitimate ceasefire.

According to The Washington Post, the plan presented by Trump at the UN General Assembly reportedly includes provisions such as an immediate halt to attacks, freezing of frontlines, release of all captives within 48 hours, dismantling of HAMAS’s military capacity, and amnesty for resistance fighters with safe passage to third countries. Observers say the plan fails to address the root causes of the conflict and seeks to weaken Palestinian resistance while legitimizing Israeli aggression.

HAMAS has reaffirmed its position: any agreement must uphold the rights of the Palestinian people, preserve their resistance, and ensure Gaza’s sovereignty, warning that externally imposed plans that ignore Palestinian voices cannot be accepted. (ILKHA)