It’s been a wild ride since Donald Trump stepped back into the Oval Office, and honestly, the Middle East is feeling the heat more than anywhere else. If you thought the "Deal of the Century" from his first term was a bold swing, his second-term approach to Gaza has been more like a sledgehammer. The Hamas reaction to Trump has shifted from outright defiance to a weird, desperate kind of pragmatism that nobody really saw coming a couple of years ago.
Basically, the group is backed into a corner.
In late 2024, when the election results were rolling in, Hamas officials like Sami Abu Zuhri were already putting out feelers. They told the press that Trump would be "tested" on his promise to end the war. They wanted him to learn from what they called Joe Biden’s "mistakes." But fast forward to right now, January 2026, and the tone has changed from "testing" him to trying to survive him.
The Trump 20 Point Plan: Hamas Says "Maybe?"
Trump didn't waste any time. By September 2025, he had already rolled out what everyone is calling the "Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict," or simply the 20 Point Plan. It was peak Trump—big, flashy, and delivered with a deadline. He literally gave Hamas until October 5, 2025, to accept it or face "hell to pay."
Surprisingly, they didn't just say no.
Hamas issued a formal response that was... complicated. They agreed to release all remaining hostages (including the remains of those who had passed) in exchange for about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. That happened in October 2025. It was a massive win for Trump’s brand of "juggernaut" diplomacy. But the Hamas reaction to Trump and his specific demands for the "day after" in Gaza is where the real friction is.
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The group basically said:
- "We’ll hand over the keys to the city." (Agreeing to a technocratic government).
- "We’ll let the hostages go." (They did this in Phase 1).
- "But we aren't giving up our guns." (The big sticking point).
Why the Disarmament Clause is a Total Dealbreaker
Right now, as we sit in early 2026, the ceasefire is "holding," but it's incredibly fragile. US Envoy Steve Witkoff just announced that we are moving into Phase 2. This is the part that makes Hamas sweat. Trump wants a full "demilitarization" of the Gaza Strip. He wants an International Stabilization Force—a mix of troops from various countries—to move in and take over security.
Hamas is balking. Hard.
Inside Gaza, the militia commanders aren't happy. Reports from the Soufan Center suggest that some of the hardliners see this as a "surrender" deal. They watched as Trump designated the Muslim Brotherhood branches in Egypt and Jordan as terrorist organizations just this month. They see the "Board of Peace" being formed—a group of world leaders who have to pay $1 billion to get a permanent seat—and they realize they aren't the ones sitting at the table.
They've seen Trump's "MIGA" (Make Iran Great Again? Or maybe just "Help is on its way" for Iranian protesters) rhetoric. They know the umbrella of support from Tehran is looking pretty leaky lately.
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The "Board of Peace" and the New Reality
Honestly, the most surreal part of this whole saga is Trump’s "Board of Peace." Instead of just relying on the UN (which Trump has been cutting funding for, by the way), he’s invited countries like Canada, Turkey, and even Pakistan to join this new oversight body.
Hamas is trying to play a double game here.
They’ve said they will dissolve their own government once a new Palestinian committee takes over. That sounds great on paper. But they haven't shown a single sign that they are going to dismantle their military wing. They are still putting uniformed police on the streets in areas where the IDF pulled back. They want to remain a political force, maybe even something like Hezbollah in Lebanon—part of the system but with their own private army.
Trump isn't having it. He’s been posting on social media that if they don't move fast on disarmament, "all bets are off."
What Most People Get Wrong About This Deal
A lot of folks think Hamas accepted the Trump plan because they suddenly became moderates. That’s not it. They did it because Gazans were exhausted. Two years of war left the enclave in ruins, and the "Gaza Riviera" talk (which Trump actually toned down recently) made people realize that the world was moving on without them.
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Hamas realized that their leverage—the hostages—was losing its value every day. They chose to trade them for a seat at the survival table.
But don't mistake pragmatism for peace. The Hamas reaction to Trump is a survival strategy. They are hoping Trump gets distracted by the protests in Iran or the situation in Venezuela. They are betting that the "International Stabilization Force" will never actually materialize because no country actually wants to send their soldiers into the tunnels of Khan Younis.
Practical Realities for 2026
If you're following this closely, here is what you need to watch for in the coming months:
- The Technocrat Transition: Watch who actually gets named to the new Gaza governing committee. If they are Hamas-lite, the deal might collapse.
- The $70 Billion Question: The UN says reconstruction will cost $70 billion. Trump wants the "Board of Peace" members to foot the bill. If the money doesn't flow, the ceasefire won't either.
- The Remaining Remains: Israel is still holding out for the return of every single body before they fully commit to the Phase 2 withdrawal.
The Hamas reaction to Trump has been a masterclass in trying to say "yes" without actually giving up. But with a president who views everything as a binary "win or lose," that middle ground is shrinking fast.
To stay ahead of these developments, monitor the official White House "Presidential Memoranda" and the updates from the US Envoy to the Middle East. The next sixty days will determine if Gaza actually rebuilds or if we're just waiting for the next explosion. Focus on the actual troop movements of the proposed stabilization force; if they don't land by March, the 20 Point Plan might just become another piece of historical "what if."