Egypt Pushes Hamas to Accept Trump’s Gaza Plan

• Egyptian Foreign Minister says Cairo is working with Qatar and Turkey to convince Hamas to sign on.
• Warns refusal could escalate the conflict further.
• Describes Israel’s Gaza campaign as “ethnic cleansing and genocide in motion.”

Egypt is intensifying efforts to secure Hamas’s acceptance of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said on Thursday.

Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Abdelatty confirmed that Cairo, along with Qatar and Turkey, is pressuring Hamas to respond positively to the plan, which is backed by Gulf Arab states and presented as a pathway out of the nearly two-year war.

“There is intense effort exerted by Egypt, Qatar and Turkey to convince Hamas to accept the plan,” he said. He warned that if Hamas rejected the proposal, the consequences would be dire: “If Hamas does not accept, there will be further escalation, further escalation of a war that is already brutal.”

Abdelatty condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza in stark terms, calling the campaign “ethnic cleansing and genocide in motion.”

The Trump administration and regional partners see the plan as a framework for a ceasefire, phased Israeli withdrawal, and governance measures in Gaza. But Hamas’s position remains uncertain, and its rejection could derail attempts to end the conflict.

Background

Trump unveiled the 20-point Gaza initiative last week, presenting it as a roadmap to end the war through a ceasefire, phased Israeli withdrawal, and the creation of safe zones for civilians. Gulf Arab states quickly endorsed the plan, with Israel signaling cautious acceptance under pressure. Egypt has since stepped up as a key mediator, working to secure Hamas’s approval in hopes of preventing further escalation.

Hamas’s Respond

Mohammad Nazal, a member of the Political Bureau of the Hamas, stated that the Hamas will announce “very soon” its position on the U.S. plan publicly, affirming its seriousness in reaching understandings aimed at stopping the war in the Gaza Strip.

Nazal explained during an intervention with Al Jazeera that Hamas’s response “will not be delayed” and will take into consideration the interests of the Palestinian people, fundamental and strategic constants, and political considerations, emphasizing that it would not allow the continuation of genocide.

He stressed that the Hamas does not operate from nihilistic premises, but it “does not accept the logic of threats, impositions, and pressures that are wielded like the sword of time.”