Several Palestinian analysts affiliated with Hamas dismissed Israel's official rejection of the Board of Peace's recent 15-point Gaza plan, arguing that Israel will be compelled to accept the terms of the agreement due to American and international pressure.
They welcomed Hamas's public apparent commitment to move forward with the roadmap despite Israeli opposition to the proposal, which conditions withdrawal on the full disarmament of Hamas, and claimed that Hamas's stance demonstrates that the Palestinian side is not the obstacle to progressing to the next phase of the agreement.
Fayez Abu Shamala, a Gaza-based prominent analyst associated with Hamas, described Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's public statement as "election rhetoric with no connection to reality."
"The enemy will be forced, against its wishes, to stop targeting people in Gaza and will expand work at the border crossings in the coming days." Abu Shamala wrote on social media. "The enemy has lost the war in Gaza; the matter is settled," his post read.
“Israel rejects the 15-point Gaza document proposed by the Board of Peace,” Netanyahu said on Sunday, adding, “The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed.”
Hamas's response to Netanyahu's rejection
In response to Netanyahu's public statement, Hamas said it affirms its adherence to what was agreed upon with the mediators and the Board of Peace. "We will continue to engage positively and responsibly with efforts aimed at completing the implementation of the roadmap, in a manner that guarantees an end to the suffering of our people and projects their rights and national interests," the terror organization said.
Ibrahim al-Madhoun, another Palestinian analyst affiliated with Hamas, said that "Israel's rejection of the plan confirms that the problem does not lie solely with the Palestinian side." He added that "the current situation raises real concerns that Israel's goal is to empty Gaza of its residents," and emphasized that this moment "demands Palestinian unity more than ever before."
A Palestinian political source unaffiliated with Hamas offered a different perspective, claiming that Hamas had anticipated Israel's rejection of the plan. From a Palestinian perspective, "Netanyahu will not take any action before the Israeli elections," he told The Jerusalem Post.
"Hamas has been waiting and hoping for this, so it can delay the issue of disarmament and also await the outcome of the elections in Israel," he added.
Israel trying to dictate conditions of deal
One Palestinian Authority (PA) official said that Israel is trying to dictate the conditions of the deal, adding that the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah wasn’t surprised by Netanyahu's statement.
"It was clear to us that Netanyahu's government is not serious. We didn't believe they would agree to implement the plan," he said. "It shows that this government is not a partner for peace, but only for war," the Palestinian official told the Post.
"Our position on Hamas's weapons is clear; they need to be handed over to the legitimate Palestinian authority. But while Hamas has shown seriousness and made concessions because it was in their interest to reach a deal, Israel hasn’t made any," the PA official claimed, referring also to Netanyahu's statement on Sunday that "there will be no Palestinian state."
Mohammed Dahlan, a prominent Palestinian politician said to have been engaged in the efforts to reach the Gaza roadmap, responded harshly, describing the Israeli rejection as "a challenge, contempt, and deception toward President Trump's team, after the significant progress made by the Palestinian side."
Dahlan claimed that the Americans and the mediators now "realize that Netanyahu is an obstacle to achieving security and stability," noting in a post he wrote that the Israeli government "proves that what governs its behavior is a denial of Palestinian rights."