United States President Donald Trump has issued Hamas a final ultimatum to accept a U.S.-brokered Gaza peace plan by Sunday evening or face devastating consequences.
In a fiery Truth Social post on Friday, Trump wrote: “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.”
The deadline is 18:00 Washington time (22:00 GMT) on Sunday. It comes after Trump warned earlier in the week that Hamas had only “three to four days” to decide.
The peace plan, unveiled Monday at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, outlines 20 points.
It demands an immediate ceasefire, the release of 20 Israeli hostages within 72 hours, and the return of the remains of others believed dead.
In exchange, hundreds of Palestinian prisoners would be freed.
Other key provisions include unrestricted humanitarian aid for Gaza and the creation of a temporary Gaza administration led by a “technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee.”
This body would operate under the supervision of an international Board of Peace, headed by Trump himself.
Hamas would be excluded from any role in Gaza’s governance, though the deal leaves room for future talks on Palestinian statehood.
Still, sharp divisions inside Hamas threaten the plan’s chances.
Leaders in Gaza have rejected the proposal, while political figures in Qatar appear open to adjustments but lack control over hostages.
Releasing all captives within 72 hours remains the most disputed clause, with Hamas viewing hostages as its strongest bargaining tool.
According to U.S. intelligence, 48 hostages remain in Gaza, but only 20 are thought to be alive.
Netanyahu has already dismissed suggestions that the deal opens the door to Palestinian statehood.
“It’s not written in the agreement. We said we would strongly oppose a Palestinian state,” he said in a video message.
Arab and Turkish mediators, however, are pushing Hamas to accept the deal.
Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia, Pakistan, and the UAE released a joint statement pledging to work with Washington.
They insisted the agreement must eventually pave the way for a two-state solution.
The Palestinian Authority also praised Trump’s push, describing it as “sincere and determined.”
But Trump has warned of dire consequences if Hamas rejects the deal.
“Israel would have U.S. backing to finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas,” he said.
Netanyahu echoed the warning: “We will finish the job if Hamas fails to comply.”
The ultimatum comes nearly two years into Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
The war began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage.
Since then, at least 66,288 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Trump’s deadline now places the future of the Gaza war and wider Middle East peace efforts on a knife’s edge.
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