United States President Donald Trump has given Hamas a deadline of “three or four days” to respond to his Gaza peace proposal, which has been endorsed by Israel and welcomed by several world powers.
The plan, unveiled at the White House after Trump’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calls for a ceasefire, the release of hostages within 72 hours, the disarmament of Hamas, and a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. It also proposes the creation of a transitional post-war authority led by Trump himself, with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair among its members.
“We have one signature that we need, and that signature will pay in hell if they don’t sign. I hope they sign for their own good and create something really great,” Trump told US generals and admirals in Quantico, Virginia.
When asked about the timeline, the US President told reporters, “We’re just waiting for Hamas, and Hamas is either going to be doing it or not. And if it’s not, it’s going to be a very sad end.” Hamas has not issued an official response.
A Palestinian source said the group had begun internal consultations among its political and military leadership in Palestine and abroad, noting that discussions “could take several days due to the complexities.” Qatar, which hosts Hamas’s exiled leaders, said the group had promised to review the proposal “responsibly” and would hold a meeting with Turkey later on Tuesday.
The plan requires Hamas to fully disarm and excludes its members from future governance, though amnesty would be granted to those who agree to “peaceful co-existence.” It also outlines a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza after nearly two years of war triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
Netanyahu voiced cautious support for Trump’s proposal but stressed in a video statement that Israeli forces would remain in most of Gaza. He also reiterated his opposition to a Palestinian state. “We will recover all our hostages, alive and well, while the Israeli military will remain in most of the Gaza Strip,” he said.
The proposal has drawn global reactions. Arab and Muslim nations, including Egypt and Qatar, praised the “sincere efforts” behind the plan. European leaders from Britain, France, Germany and Italy voiced strong support, while China and Russia also backed the initiative.
However, scepticism remains on the ground in Gaza. “It’s clear that this plan is unrealistic,” 39-year-old Ibrahim Joudeh told AFP reporters from a shelter in Al-Mawasi. “It’s drafted with conditions that the US and Israel know Hamas will never accept. For us, that means the war and the suffering will continue.”
Fighting has continued across Gaza, with Israeli air strikes and shelling reported in several areas, particularly Gaza City.
While the Palestinian Authority welcomed Trump’s “sincere and determined efforts,” Hamas ally Islamic Jihad rejected the plan, accusing Israel of trying to impose “through the United States what it could not achieve through war.”
The conflict began after Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel, which killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed 66,055 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, and reduced much of Gaza to ruins, according to health ministry figures regarded by the United Nations as reliable.