A senior Hamas official has told that the group is unlikely to accept Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan because it favours Israeli interests and "ignores the needs of the Palestinian people".

The official said the chances of Hamas agreeing to disarm and hand over its weapons as set out in Trump's peace plan were slim.

Hamas has rejected the idea of an international peacekeeping force in Gaza, calling it a new kind of invasion.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Trump's plan during a visit to the White House on Monday.

Hamas has not yet issued an official response.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry said Hamas was "responsibly" considering the White House proposal.

A Palestinian official with knowledge of the Hamas negotiations said that the group had engaged with leaders in Gaza and elsewhere.

The peace plan stipulates that Hamas will not have a "direct or indirect" role in governing Gaza.