Topline
President Donald Trump on Friday issued a Sunday evening deadline for Hamas to accept his peace proposal for Gaza, warning of “all HELL” if the group fails to sign on, after Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week unveiled a 20-point plan to end the conflict.
Trump’s proposal would place Gaza under the temporary control of a “Board of Peace” with himself as chairman.
AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
“An Agreement must be reached by Hamas by Sunday Evening at [6 p.m.], Washington, D.C. time,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “Every Country has signed on! If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas.”
Trump and Netanyahu announced Monday their peace plan includes the day-to-day governance of Gaza being managed by a “technocratic, apolitical” committee overseen by a “Board of Peace,” which would be chaired by Trump and consist of other world leaders, though Trump only named former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Hamas and “other terrorist factions” will play no role in the board, Trump said at the time, additionally calling for the Palestinian Islamic faction to release all of the remaining hostages taken during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.
Hamas said Tuesday it would study the proposal, after which Trump told reporters the group would have “three or four days” to respond, according to the Associated Press.
Crucial Quote
“Most of the [Hamas troops] are surrounded and MILITARILY TRAPPED, just waiting for me to give the word, ‘GO,’ for their lives to be quickly extinguished,” Trump wrote. “As for the rest, we know where and who you are, and you will be hunted down, and killed.”
What To Watch For
Should Hamas reject the peace proposal, Netanyahu said, “Israel will finish the job by itself.” It remains unclear whether the Palestinian Authority, which nominally governs the West Bank, could have a role in Gaza’s government, though Trump and Netanyahu said it would be involved after completing an unspecified “reform program.”
What’s In Trump’s Peace Plan For Gaza?
Under the 20-point peace plan, Hamas will release all of its remaining hostages in return for Israel releasing “250 life sentence prisoners plus 1,700 Gazans who were detained after October 7th, 2023, including all women and children detained in that context.” No Palestinians would be forced out of Gaza and refugees would be allowed to return, and members of Hamas who disarm and “commit to peaceful co-existence” would also be permitted, according to the policy, though they would play no role in the territory’s government. The plan also indicates a “Trump economic development plan” to rebuild and “energize” Gaza would be implemented, though few details were provided as to what this would entail. A panel of experts would review “thoughtful investment proposals and exciting development ideas” proposed by other international groups. As part of the proposal, Israel would agree not to occupy or annex Gaza, and Netanyahu has said Israeli troops would withdraw from the territory despite remaining in the “security perimeter for the foreseeable future.”