Former US President Donald Trump has issued a deadline to Hamas, urging the group to accept a US-backed peace plan for Gaza or face severe consequences.
In a post on his Truth Social platform Friday, Trump stated that an agreement must be reached by 6:00 PM Washington time (22:00 GMT) on Sunday.
The proposed plan entails an immediate cessation of hostilities and the release of 20 living Israeli hostages held by Hamas within 72 hours, along with the remains of deceased hostages, in exchange for the release of hundreds of detained Gazans.
Reports indicate that Arab and Turkish mediators are actively urging Hamas to respond favorably to the proposal. However, a senior Hamas figure has suggested the group is likely to reject the terms.
“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,” Trump wrote in his Truth Social post.
The deadline follows Trump’s earlier statement on Tuesday, in which he gave Hamas a “three to four day” window to respond to the peace plan.
Sources indicate to the BBC that mediators have engaged with the head of Hamas’s military wing in Gaza, who has expressed disagreement with the new US ceasefire plan.
While some of Hamas’s political leadership in Qatar are reportedly open to accepting the proposal with adjustments, their influence is limited due to their lack of direct control over the hostages.
Another obstacle for some within Hamas is the plan’s requirement to hand over all hostages within the first 72 hours of the ceasefire, relinquishing their primary bargaining chip.
It is believed that 48 hostages remain in Hamas custody, with only 20 presumed to be alive.
During a White House briefing on Friday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized the “very grave” consequences Hamas would face if the deal is rejected.
“I think that the entire world should hear the president of the United States loud and clear,” Leavitt stated. “Hamas has an opportunity to accept this plan and move forward in a peaceful and prosperous manner in the region. If they don’t, the consequences, unfortunately, are going to be very tragic.”
The 20-point plan, agreed upon by Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and announced at the White House on Monday, also stipulates that Hamas will have no role in governing Gaza and leaves open the possibility of a future Palestinian state.
However, Netanyahu subsequently reaffirmed his long-standing opposition to a Palestinian state, stating shortly after the announcement: “It’s not written in the agreement. We said we would strongly oppose a Palestinian state.”
The plan outlines that upon agreement from both sides, “full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip.”
It also proposes a future governance structure for Gaza, with a “technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee” governing temporarily under the “oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, called the Board of Peace,” reportedly to be headed by Trump.
European and Middle Eastern leaders have generally welcomed the proposal. The Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs parts of the West Bank, has described the US president’s efforts as “sincere and determined.”
While Pakistan initially voiced support, the country’s foreign minister has since stated that the announced points were not consistent with a draft from a group of Muslim-majority countries, according to BBC Urdu and Reuters.
Trump has asserted that if Hamas rejects the plan, Israel would have US backing to “finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas.”
Netanyahu has echoed this sentiment, stating that Israel “will finish the job” if Hamas rejects the plan or fails to comply.
The Israeli military initiated its campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 hostage situations.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, at least 66,288 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since then.
In the 24 hours preceding Friday midday, the health ministry reported that 63 people were killed by Israeli military operations.
The push for the peace plan comes amid an ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza City, with Israel’s defence minister stating earlier this week that Israeli forces were “tightening the siege” around the city.
Israel has stated that the offensive aims to secure the release of the remaining hostages.
Hundreds of thousands of Gaza City residents have been displaced following Israeli military evacuation orders to a designated “humanitarian area” in the southern al-Mawasi area, while hundreds of thousands more are believed to have remained.
Israel’s defence minister has warned that those who remain during the offensive against Hamas would be considered “terrorists and supporters of terror.”
James Elder, spokesman for the UN children’s agency, Unicef, described the concept of a safe zone in southern Gaza as “farcical” on Friday.
“Bombs are dropped from the sky with chilling predictability. Schools, which have been designated as temporary shelters, are regularly reduced to rubble,” he said.
(With additional reporting from Bernd Debusmann Jr at the White House)
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