Trump-Gaza Update: Hamas Aims to Revise Trump's Peace Plan as President Waits for Response

Key Developments in the Gaza Conflict

Hamas is expected to push for key changes to Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan, but is likely to accept it as a framework for negotiations, according to a report. Trump will draw a “red line” for Hamas to respond to his 20-point peace plan, the White House said on Thursday. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated that the U.S. hopes and expects Hamas to approve its plan, but issued a warning should they reject it.

“It’s a red line that the president of the United States is going to have to draw, and I’m confident that he will,” Leavitt said in an interview with Fox News, when asked about Hamas potentially walking away from the plan. Trump gave Hamas three to four days on Tuesday to accept the plan.

The Guardian, citing sources close to Hamas, reported that the group is wary of the Trump plan’s unclear details on Israeli troop withdrawals, though one insider welcomed the assurance that Israel would not annex or occupy Gaza. Hamas earlier said it would consider the proposal in “good faith.”

Greta Thunberg's Aid Flotilla Interception

Greta Thunberg’s aid flotilla was intercepted by Israeli military and its crew detained as it made its final approach to Gaza, Israeli officials have confirmed. Three vessels in the Global Sumud Flotilla were cut off by a naval blockade around 70 nautical miles, or 130km, from the besieged strip at around 8:30pm Gaza time on Wednesday evening, according to activists on board. It said Israeli forces boarded and detained passengers on the Alma, Surius, and Adara boats, which were carrying Ms Thunberg alongside other prominent members of the flotilla’s steering committee.

The group accused Israel of using “water cannons” and “active aggression” on the vessels Florida, Yulara, and Meteque among others.

Escalation of Violence in Gaza

At least 53 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes on Thursday as Hamas weighed whether to accept Donald Trump’s ceasefire ultimatum. Israel intensified its assault on Gaza City, warning remaining residents they would be treated as “terrorists.” Israeli forces struck multiple sites across Gaza on Thursday, including the southern al-Masawi area, previously designated a safe zone, where a food store was hit, killing nine members of the same family: a grandfather, his four sons, and a grandson.

Defence minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces were nearing a full encirclement of Gaza City and warned that anyone who chose to stay would be treated as “terrorists or supporters of terror.”

International Reactions and Concerns

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty indicated on Thursday he was broadly supportive of Trump’s plan and vision to end the war in Gaza. He said that the plan needed more discussions on implementation, especially on issues of governance and security arrangements. But he said that if there is a political will, “I believe that this plan for Gaza can be implemented on the ground.” Abdelatty indicated Egypt was talking with Hamas to see what their reaction was to the plan.

The British Foreign Office said it was “very concerned” after the flotilla of boats bound for Gaza was intercepted by the Israeli navy. British nationals are on board the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), including British-Polish activist Ewa Jasiewicz, from London. The Foreign Office said it expected the situation to be resolved safely and according to international law. It called for the aid on board to reach Gaza.

Broader Implications of Trump’s Plan

Donald Trump’s 20-point proposal – already endorsed by Israel – demands Hamas disarm, release hostages within 72 hours, and accept an international administration of Gaza, while offering Israeli troop withdrawals, a surge of aid, and the release of over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. However, critics argue that the plan may be a colonial con-trick on the Palestinians. First, the trap. The plan, which has been endorsed by Netanyahu but not by his cabinet (where the extreme right holds the whip hand), demands that Israel accepts “a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”

Dr Andreas Krieg, associate professor of defence studies at King’s College London, told The Independent that, as it stands, Trump and Netanyahu stand to profit most from the plan. For Trump, the creation of a “Board of Peace” to oversee the transitional government with himself at its head “presents the optics of a historic breakthrough and places him at the centre of the process,” Dr Krieg said.

Humanitarian Crises and Civilian Impact

A new study published in the British Medical Journal found that civilians in Gaza are sustaining injuries more commonly seen in professionally trained soldiers. The “military grade severity of injuries” includes significant wounds reported in the head, chest, and limbs. Of the 23,726 trauma-related injuries reported, 67 per cent were due to explosives, with the remainder linked to gunshot wounds.

Over 150 children have died from malnutrition in Gaza since the start of Israel's invasion into the strip, a majority in 2025, according to the latest figures from Palestinian health authorities. Gaza’s malnutrition crisis has reached catastrophic levels, according to Unicef's communication manager Tess Ingram, who said the strip's entire child population under five, which includes over 320,000 children, are at risk of acute malnutrition.

International Protests and Diplomatic Responses

Thousands of students in Spain were set to strike in as many as 40 cities on Thursday over the situation in the beleaguered Gaza Strip. The mobilisation, called by the Student Union, has left classrooms in many secondary schools almost empty, with the exception of younger students. The president of the Murcia principals' association told the outlet some 80 per cent of students at her school were on strike. Corresponding protests have also been called at universities.

Spain’s foreign minister said on Thursday that he had summoned Israel’s Charge d’Affaires over the GSF flotilla interception overnight. Jose Manuel Albares said on Spanish National Television (TVE) that he had told the highest-ranking diplomat that Spanish citizens travelling on the flotilla are “peaceful Spanish citizens in solidarity, whose objective was solely and exclusively humanitarian, who did not and do not represent any threat to Israel or anyone else, and who were exercising a basic right under international law.”

Ongoing Conflicts and Regional Tensions

Israel has killed more than 100 civilians in Lebanon since ceasefire, UN says. An Israeli drone strike on southern Lebanon killed one person and wounded five on Wednesday as the U.N. rights chief said that Israeli strikes on its northern neighbor have killed more than 100 civilians in 10 months. Volker Türk called for renewed efforts to bring a permanent end to hostilities in Lebanon following the 14-month Israel- Hezbollah that ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in late November.

The Netherlands called on the EU on Wednesday to sanction Yemen's Houthis as a terrorist group, after the organisation claimed responsibility for an attack on the Dutch-flagged general cargo ship Minervagracht in the Gulf of Aden. The Iran-aligned group has launched numerous assaults on vessels in the Red Sea since 2023, targeting ships they deem linked to Israel in what they describe as solidarity with Palestinians over Israel's war on Gaza.

Conclusion

The ongoing conflict in Gaza continues to escalate, with significant humanitarian and political implications. As international actors navigate the complexities of the situation, the focus remains on finding a sustainable solution that addresses the needs of the civilian population and fosters long-term peace in the region.