U.S. President Donald Trump has issued Hamas a stark ultimatum: accept Washington’s latest Gaza peace plan by 18:00 Washington time (22:00 GMT) on Sunday or face what he warned would be “all hell.”
Announcing the deadline on his Truth Social platform Friday, Trump declared:
“If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas. THERE WILL BE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.”
The Proposal
The U.S.-backed plan, unveiled Monday at the White House by Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, lays out a 20-point framework:
An immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The release within 72 hours of 20 living Israeli hostages and the remains of those believed dead.
In return, Israel would free hundreds of Palestinian detainees.
Hamas would be excluded from governing Gaza.
A technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, overseen by a new international body called the Board of Peace—headed by Trump—would temporarily administer Gaza.
The plan leaves open the possibility of a future Palestinian state.
Divisions Within Hamas
Arab and Turkish mediators are pressing Hamas to accept, but internal divisions persist.
A senior Hamas military leader in Gaza has reportedly rejected the plan outright.
Some political leaders in Qatar are said to be more open to negotiating adjustments, but their influence is limited, as they do not control the hostages.
A major sticking point: the requirement to release all hostages within the first 72 hours, effectively giving up Hamas’s strongest bargaining chip.
According to Israeli and U.S. intelligence, about 48 hostages remain in Gaza, though only 20 are believed alive.
International Reactions
The plan has drawn support from several Middle Eastern and global powers. In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan welcomed the U.S. proposal, saying it could pave the way to a two-state solution with Gaza integrated into the West Bank.
The Palestinian Authority (PA), based in Ramallah, called Trump’s efforts “sincere and determined.”
Israeli Position
While Netanyahu stood alongside Trump at the plan’s unveiling, he later doubled down on his opposition to Palestinian statehood, stating:
“It’s not written in the agreement. We said we would strongly oppose a Palestinian state.”
Both Trump and Netanyahu warned that if Hamas rejects the deal, Israel—backed by U.S. support—would “finish the job” of dismantling Hamas.
The Ongoing War
The conflict was triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken. Israel’s military campaign in response has devastated Gaza, where more than 66,000 people have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
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