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Palestinian Islamic Jihad Rejects Trump’s Gaza Plan, Pressures Hamas to Follow Suit as Trump Issues Deadline
The secretary-general of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group, Ziyad Nakhaleh, attends a news conference in Tehran, Iran, Aug. 7, 2022. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
The terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) has denounced US President Donald Trump’s peace plan to end the war in Gaza, intensifying pressure on its ally Hamas to oppose the proposal as divisions over post-war governance deepen.
PIJ Secretary-General Ziyad al-Nakhalah rejected Trump’s 20-point proposal for Gaza, which the US president unveiled on Monday, accusing it of serving only Israel’s interests.
The terrorist leader described the plan as a “formula for perpetuating the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian nation.”
“Israel aims to enforce, with the support of the United States, what it could not accomplish through military action,” al-Nakhalah said in a statement.
“Consequently, we view the US-Israeli declaration as a catalyst for escalating conflict in the region,” he continued.
Trump gave Hamas “three or four days” on Tuesday to accept the US-backed peace plan for Gaza, warning of “a very sad end” if the Palestinian terrorist group rejected the proposal.
“Hamas is either going to be doing it or not, and if it’s not, it’s going to be a very sad end,” Trump said as he left the White House. Asked whether there was room for further talks on the proposal, he replied, “Not much.”
Alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump unveiled his peace plan at the White House on Monday, calling for the release of all remaining Israeli hostages within 48 hours, the demilitarization of Gaza including the disarmament of Hamas, and the phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from the territory.
The plan, for which Israel announced its support, outlines “a modest withdrawal” of Israeli forces, followed within 72 hours by the release of all remaining Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.
Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists from Gaza, including members of PIJ, started the current war with their Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of and massacre across southern Israel, where they murdered 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 hostages. Israel responded with a military campaign aimed at freeing the hostages and dismantling Hamas’s military capabilities and political rule in Gaza, which borders the Jewish state to the south. Currently, 48 hostages remain in captivity, and 20 of them are believed to be alive.
The process proposed by Trump would be overseen by a Board of Peace – which would include leaders from Arab countries, Israel, and the US – with a new international body responsible for disarming Hamas and managing Gaza’s demilitarization.
Although Hamas has yet to formally respond to the proposed deal, the terrorist group denounced Trump’s announcement as “an attempt to stifle international momentum and recognition of the Palestinian state.”
“We will not accept any proposal that does not include the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and protection from massacres,” Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu expressed his support for Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza, saying it “achieves our war aims.”
“If Hamas rejects US President Donald Trump’s plan, or if they supposedly accept it and then basically do everything to counter it, then Israel will finish the job by itself,” the Israeli leader said during a joint press conference at the White House.
“This can be done the easy way, or it can be done the hard way. But it will be done,” he continued.
Several Arab and European leaders have also backed Trump’s plan. The president told reporters on Tuesday that “we’re just waiting for Hamas” to make its decision.
At Monday’s press conference, Trump also warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting the proposed deal, saying he would endorse the continuation of the war.
“If Hamas rejects the deal, Bibi, you will have our full backing to finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas,” Trump said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.
The peace plan also includes amnesty for Hamas members who renounce violence, allowing them to leave the territory, and promises a major boost in humanitarian aid along with a US-backed economic development initiative to rebuild the war-torn enclave.
For its part, the Palestinian Authority (PA) welcomed Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza as the group seeks to secure a role in post-war governance.
Western powers have been negotiating with the PA on conditions for Gaza governance after Hamas is removed from power, while the PA continues to pledge reforms — a strategy experts say is unlikely to succeed given its lack of credibility and ongoing support for terrorism against Israel.
Jewish leaders have argued that these Western governments appear to be accepting the PA’s promises of reform at face value, rather than waiting to see if its behavior truly changes.
The PA, which has long been riddled with accusations of corruption, has maintained for years a so-called “pay-for-slay” program, which rewards terrorists and their families for carrying out attacks against Israelis.
During Monday’s press conference, Netanyahu reiterated that the PA would have no role in Gaza after the war unless the group undergoes significant reforms.
“The Palestinian Authority can have no role whatsoever in Gaza without undergoing a radical and genuine transformation,” the Israeli leader said.
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After False Dawns, Gazans Hope Trump Will Force End to Two-Year-Old War
Palestinians walk past a residential building destroyed in previous Israeli strikes, after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept some other terms in a US plan to end the war, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Exhausted Palestinians in Gaza clung to hopes on Saturday that US President Donald Trump would keep up pressure on Israel to end a two-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced the entire population of more than two million.
Hamas’ declaration that it was ready to hand over hostages and accept some terms of Trump’s plan to end the conflict while calling for more talks on several key issues was greeted with relief in the enclave, where most homes are now in ruins.
“It’s happy news, it saves those who are still alive,” said 32-year-old Saoud Qarneyta, reacting to Hamas’ response and Trump’s intervention. “This is enough. Houses have been damaged, everything has been damaged, what is left? Nothing.”
GAZAN RESIDENT HOPES ‘WE WILL BE DONE WITH WARS’
Ismail Zayda, 40, a father of three, displaced from a suburb in northern Gaza City where Israel launched a full-scale ground operation last month, said: “We want President Trump to keep pushing for an end to the war, if this chance is lost, it means that Gaza City will be destroyed by Israel and we might not survive.
“Enough, two years of bombardment, death and starvation. Enough,” he told Reuters on a social media chat.
“God willing this will be the last war. We will hopefully be done with the wars,” said 59-year-old Ali Ahmad, speaking in one of the tented camps where most Palestinians now live.
“We urge all sides not to backtrack. Every day of delay costs lives in Gaza, it is not just time wasted, lives get wasted too,” said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman displaced with members of his family in central Gaza Strip.
After two previous ceasefires — one near the start of the war and another earlier this year — lasted only a few weeks, he said; “I am very optimistic this time, maybe Trump’s seeking to be remembered as a man of peace, will bring us real peace this time.”
RESIDENT WORRIES THAT NETANYAHU WILL ‘SABOTAGE’ DEAL
Some voiced hopes of returning to their homes, but the Israeli military issued a fresh warning to Gazans on Saturday to stay out of Gaza City, describing it as a “dangerous combat zone.”
Gazans have faced previous false dawns during the past two years, when Trump and others declared at several points during on-off negotiations between Hamas, Israel and Arab and US mediators that a deal was close, only for war to rage on.
“Will it happen? Can we trust Trump? Maybe we trust Trump, but will Netanyahu abide this time? He has always sabotaged everything and continued the war. I hope he ends it now,” said Aya, 31, who was displaced with her family to Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
She added: “Maybe there is a chance the war ends at October 7, two years after it began.”
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Mass Rally in Rome on Fourth Day of Italy’s Pro-Palestinian Protests
A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a national protest for Gaza in Rome, Italy, October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Large crowds assembled in central Rome on Saturday for the fourth straight day of protests in Italy since Israel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza, and detained its activists.
People holding banners and Palestinian flags, chanting “Free Palestine” and other slogans, filed past the Colosseum, taking part in a march that organizers hoped would attract at least 1 million people.
“I’m here with a lot of other friends because I think it is important for us all to mobilize individually,” Francesco Galtieri, a 65-year-old musician from Rome, said. “If we don’t all mobilize, then nothing will change.”
Since Israel started blocking the flotilla late on Wednesday, protests have sprung up across Europe and in other parts of the world, but in Italy they have been a daily occurrence, in multiple cities.
On Friday, unions called a general strike in support of the flotilla, with demonstrations across the country that attracted more than 2 million, according to organizers. The interior ministry estimated attendance at around 400,000.
Italy’s right-wing government has been critical of the protests, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggesting that people would skip work for Gaza just as an excuse for a longer weekend break.
On Saturday, Meloni blamed protesters for insulting graffiti that appeared on a statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside Rome’s main train station, where Pro-Palestinian groups have been holding a protest picket.
“They say they are taking to the streets for peace, but then they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace. A shameful act committed by people blinded by ideology,” she said in a statement.
Israel launched its Gaza offensive after Hamas terrorists staged a cross border attack on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage.
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Hamas Says It Agrees to Release All Israeli Hostages Under Trump Gaza Plan
Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Hamas said on Friday it had agreed to release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, under the terms of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal, and signaled readiness to immediately enter mediated negotiations to discuss the details.