US President Donald Trump has given Hamas an ultimatum of “three or four days” to respond to his Gaza peace proposal, which has the backing of Israel.
The plan calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages by Hamas within 72 hours, the militant group’s complete disarmament, and a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. It also proposes the establishment of a post-war transitional authority led by Trump himself.
Global powers, including Arab and Muslim nations, welcomed the proposal, but Hamas had yet to issue an official response as of Tuesday.
“We’re going to give them about three or four days,” Trump told reporters. “We’re just waiting for Hamas, and they will either accept it or not. If not, it will be a very sad end.”
Trump announced the plan at the White House on Monday following talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A Palestinian source said Hamas had begun internal consultations, which could take several days due to the complexity of the proposal.
Qatar, which hosts Hamas’s exiled leadership, confirmed that the group had promised to study the plan “responsibly” and would meet with Qatari and Turkish officials later in the day.
The proposal demands Hamas’s full disarmament and exclusion from future governance, though members willing to embrace “peaceful co-existence” would receive amnesty. It envisions a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza after nearly two years of conflict sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
However, Netanyahu said Israel’s military would remain in most of Gaza and reiterated his opposition to a Palestinian state. “We will recover all our hostages, alive and well, while the Israeli military remains in most of the Gaza Strip,” he stated.
Some Israeli officials criticised the plan. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called it a “diplomatic failure” and warned that it would “end in tears” and lead to future conflict.
The proposal also includes deploying a “temporary international stabilisation force” and forming a transitional authority led by Trump, with former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair among its members. Netanyahu cast doubt on whether the Palestinian Authority would have any role in Gaza’s post-war governance.
Trump said Israel would have his “full backing” if Hamas rejected the deal. The plan received strong support from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, China, and Russia. Egypt and Qatar also praised Washington’s “sincere efforts” following their own talks with Trump.
Yet many in Gaza expressed scepticism. “This plan is unrealistic,” said 39-year-old Ibrahim Joudeh from a shelter in Al-Mawasi. “It’s full of conditions the US and Israel know Hamas will never accept. The war and suffering will continue.”
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes and ground operations continued across Gaza, particularly in Gaza City. The conflict, triggered by Hamas’s attack that killed 1,219 people in Israel, has since killed 66,055 Palestinians — mostly civilians — and reduced much of the enclave to rubble, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry, considered credible by the United Nations.
