Netanyahu hamstrung by far right, Trump as Hamas drags feet on Gaza plan
The Hamas commanders in Gaza remain the main obstacle to advancement of the Trump plan and are expected to seek amendments even as Israel’s military steps up its offensive on Gaza City.
TEL AVIV — Israel is weighing its options as the battle of nerves over President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza escalates, with Trump announcing Friday that Hamas had until 6:00 p.m. EST Sunday to respond to the deal, threatening that otherwise, "all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under mounting pressure from his coalition partners to walk away from the deal. A conditional or partial acceptance by Hamas would only sharpen those demands, pushing Israel toward continuing its military offensive in Gaza.
Hamas appears to be signaling that it does not reject the plan outright, but will demand changes. Israeli officials are saying Trump is unlikely to agree to further negotiations, while the White House said Thursday that “Trump will draw a red line on how long to give Hamas.”
Israel would have preferred a clear yes from Hamas. A flat rejection would allow Netanyahu to press ahead with plans to seize Gaza City and possibly more. But an ambiguous response could force Israel back to the negotiating table, leaving Netanyahu to decide what to do with the thousands of troops encircling the city. Keeping them in place without advancing exposes the soldiers to Hamas attacks, yet Hamas has made clear it will not negotiate under fire.
