US President Donald Trump has given Hamas a deadline to accept a US peace plan for Gaza or face 'all hell'. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that an agreement must be reached by 18:00 Washington time (22:00 GMT) on Sunday.
The proposed plan aims for an immediate cessation of hostilities, outlining an exchange of 20 living Israeli hostages held by Hamas, along with the remains of presumed deceased hostages, for hundreds of Gazans in detention.
As Arab and Turkish mediators urge for compliance, a senior Hamas figure hinted at a likely rejection of the plan. Trump's emphatic warning underscores a potential escalation if the agreement is not met. In his post, Trump declared, 'If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas.'
Mediators have reached out to the military leader of Hamas in Gaza, but he has shown resistance to the US ceasefire proposal. Meanwhile, some of Hamas's political leaders in Qatar have expressed interest in accepting the terms, albeit with possible modifications. However, they lack control over the hostages, complicating negotiations.
Another obstacle is the deadline's demand for the immediate release of all hostages within the first 72 hours of the ceasefire, which would relinquish Hamas's critical bargaining leverage.
The 20-point peace plan, announced jointly by Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, posits that Hamas will have no governing role in Gaza and hints at the possibility of a future Palestinian state. Nevertheless, Netanyahu quickly reiterated his opposition to a Palestinian state following the announcement.
Trump has affirmed that should Hamas refuse the plan, Israel would have the US's backing to 'finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas'. Netanyahu echoed this sentiment, stating that Israel 'will finish the job' should the proposal not be accepted.
The conflict reignited on October 7, 2023, following a Hamas-led attack that led to significant casualties. Since then, the Israeli military campaign in Gaza has resulted in a drastic rise in casualties.
