Gazans Plead with Hamas to Accept Peace Deal Amid Unimaginable Suffering

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - For nearly two years, Palestinians in Gaza have endured a relentless cycle of destruction, displacement, and death. Now, with a U.S.-backed ceasefire plan on the table that presents both a glimmer of hope and a stark ultimatum, a powerful and desperate plea is rising from within the battered enclave, not just for peace, but directed squarely at Hamas: Accept the deal.

According to a report in The New York Times, interviews conducted across the Gaza Strip reveal widespread public support for the American proposal, with many Palestinians viewing it as their best, and perhaps last, chance to escape a conflict that has brought them to the brink of hell. "Hamas must say yes to this offer — we have been through hell already," Mahmoud Bolbol, a 43-year-old construction worker from Gaza City, told the newspaper, encapsulating a sentiment of profound exhaustion and a desperate yearning for survival.

The comprehensive proposal was unveiled on Monday at the White House by U.S. President Donald Trump, standing alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The plan was presented not as a starting point for negotiation but as a final offer with grave consequences. President Trump made it clear that if Hamas were to reject the terms, he would give Israel an unequivocal green light to "finish the job" of destroying the armed group.

While Hamas has yet to issue its formal response, the voices emerging from Gaza, as captured by The New York Times, suggest a population that feels it can endure no more. Mr. Bolbol, who has remained in the shell of his home with his six children throughout the war, said that the ceasefire plan has been the dominant topic of conversation for days. He added that a rejection from Hamas would be the final straw, forcing his family to finally flee south. “Hamas needs to understand: Enough is enough,” he said. “So why drag us into this?”

This widespread desperation for peace is born from nearly two years of unimaginable loss and displacement, a reality starkly embodied in the story of individuals like Lamis Dib. In a report by Agence France-Presse (AFP), the 31-year-old mother of two recounted how her life has been reduced to a "relentless fight for survival." Before the war, she had built "a happy family" in a middle-class neighborhood of Gaza City.

That life was shattered after Hamas’s attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli figures. The retaliatory Israeli military campaign has since killed at least 66,225 Palestinians in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, figures the United Nations considers reliable.

For Lamis Dib, this has meant being displaced 11 times. "Each move was a race against death, under air strikes," she told AFP. "It was as if I was on autopilot, I carried my kids, held them against me, and ran without looking back." Her personal tragedy culminated in August 2024 when an Israeli missile struck the rooftop where her husband and father were gathered with other family members.

"I ran towards the rooftop, and the scene was unimaginable; they were all dead," she recalled. Now a widow, she cares for her children alone in a tent, battling hunger, thirst, and a total lack of privacy. "Our children were robbed of education, food, and a normal life," she said. "We will rebuild it, but we just want a little bit of peace."

It is this profound desire for "a little bit of peace" that is driving many Gazans to support the American proposal, despite its stringent conditions. The plan, as detailed by The New York Times, demands that Hamas release all remaining hostages seized during the October 7 attack within 72 hours. This includes an estimated 20 abductees believed to be alive and the bodies of about 25 others.

In return, Israel would release approximately 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences, 1,700 Gazans detained during the war, and the remains of 15 dead Gazan prisoners for each Israeli hostage's body returned.

However, the proposal also contains several elements that Hamas has publicly stated are unacceptable, including a ban on the group holding any future power in Gaza, a requirement for complete disarmament, and the establishment of a transitional government overseen by foreign officials, including President Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Despite these difficult terms, many Gazans feel they have no other choice. Abdelhalim Awad, a 57-year-old bakery manager in Deir al Balah, told The New York Times he would accept almost "any price" to end the war. Yet, he expressed a bitter cynicism, doubting Hamas would put the people's interests first.

“They don’t care about what people think or public opinion,” Mr. Awad said. “If they cared about that, we wouldn’t be in this situation.” This sentiment was echoed by Nasayem Muqat, 30, who recently fled Gaza City for the south with her young daughter. “We are dying for nothing, and no one cares about us,” she said.

“Hamas needs to think more of us and what we have been through.” In Khan Younis, Mahmoud Abu Mattar, 35, who has been displaced 10 times with his family, expressed his disgust with the negotiators in faraway, air-conditioned rooms. He voiced a hope that the United States could simply impose the deal on both sides. “My wish is that Trump forces it as a reality on both sides, directly, without giving a choice,” he said.

The dire humanitarian conditions driving this desperation were highlighted this week by another international incident at sea. According to a Kurdistan24 report, the Israeli navy intercepted the "Global Sumud Flotilla," a convoy of around 45 vessels carrying international activists, including Greta Thunberg, attempting to breach the blockade and draw attention to the worsening crisis. The United Nations has recently warned that famine has taken hold in parts of the territory. Israel announced it would deport the dozens of detained activists, stating that none of the vessels had breached its long-standing maritime blockade.

The ultimatum delivered by President Trump at the White House is not only aimed at Hamas but also unfolds against a backdrop of a significant and complex political realignment within the United States regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A separate New York Times report on October 2 detailed a quiet but steady retreat by Democratic lawmakers from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the pre-eminent pro-Israel lobbying group. This reflects a broader shift as American support for the Israeli government's management of the war undergoes a "seismic reversal."

With Democratic voters’ support for Israel dropping steeply, AIPAC is becoming an "increasingly toxic brand" for some on Capitol Hill. The report notes that key Democrats who were once top recipients of AIPAC donations have recently refused to take the group's money, and Democratic attendance at the group's influential annual trip to Israel has seen a sharp drop-off.

This pivot reflects a broader shift in public opinion, with a recent poll from The New York Times and Siena University finding that American support for Israel is crumbling. This evolving political landscape in Washington adds another layer of complexity to the diplomatic push, as the traditional bipartisan consensus on unconditional support for Israel shows clear signs of fracturing.

For the people of Gaza, however, these geopolitical shifts are a distant concern. Their focus is singular and immediate: an end to the war that has consumed their world. Their plea to Hamas is a simple, powerful, and heartbreaking cry for survival.