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U.S. President Donald Trump has set a deadline for Hamas to accept his proposal aimed at ending nearly two years of conflict with Israel in Gaza. He warned that if Hamas does not agree by Sunday evening, chaos will ensue.
Trump posted on social media Friday: “A deal must be finalized with Hamas by 6 PM Washington, D.C. time on Sunday. All nations have already agreed! If this final opportunity is missed, I guarantee that unprecedented destruction and disaster will strike Hamas.”
His plan calls for an immediate ceasefire, the exchange of all hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody, a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas’s disarmament, and the formation of a transitional government led by an international body.
Initially, Trump discussed the proposal with leaders from Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan, Qatar, and the UAE during last week’s UN General Assembly. Mediators Qatar and Egypt then shared the 20-point plan with Hamas late Monday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly endorsed the plan, expressing that it met Israel’s war objectives.
Hamas was not involved in crafting this agreement, which includes the disarmament of the militant group—a demand Hamas has previously rejected. When asked if Hamas had responded, a Hamas official told Reuters late Thursday: “Not yet, we are engaged in intensive discussions.” The official added that Hamas has been in talks with Arab mediators, Turkey, and Palestinian factions to formulate the Palestinian response.
Trump stated on Tuesday that he would give Hamas three to four days to accept the plan. On Friday, he described Hamas as a “ruthless and violent threat” in the Middle East. His Friday social media post also referenced Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza City, stating that remaining Hamas fighters are trapped and “will be hunted down and killed” if no deal is reached. Trump urged innocent Palestinians to evacuate to safer areas.
The United Nations has repeatedly emphasized that no part of Gaza is safe. Israel blocked Gaza City’s main road on Thursday, advising residents to evacuate south, claiming it’s their last chance to escape a major military operation.
Gaza’s residents suffer from severe food shortages, with the UN warning hunger is likely to worsen. Israel disrupted aid shipments for 11 weeks earlier this year, claiming improvements but with widespread calls for greater access from international agencies.
The UN aid chief, Tom Fletcher, stated Friday that Trump’s Gaza initiative creates a “window of opportunity,” providing a chance to deliver lifesaving aid and secure the return of hostages. The UN has 170,000 metric tons of aid ready for delivery, calling for neutral international organizations to oversee distribution.
Following a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, that killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, Israel launched a military campaign that has resulted in over 66,000 deaths in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to local health authorities. Trump claimed that over 25,000 Hamas fighters had already been killed, though Hamas rarely reports its casualties.
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