‘Going to be a very sad end’: Trump gives Hamas 3-4 days to respond to peace plan

Trump warns Hamas over peace plan

US President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Hamas, giving the group just three to four days to respond to his 20-point peace proposal. The plan calls for a ceasefire, the release of hostages by Hamas within 72 hours, the disarmament of Hamas, and Israel’s gradual withdrawal from Gaza. It also proposes a post-war transitional authority to be headed by Trump himself.

Speaking at the White House, Trump said, “We're going to do about three or four days. We'll see how it is. All of the Arab countries are signed up. The Muslim countries are all signed up. Israel is all signed up. 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.”

When asked about negotiations with Hamas, Trump said, “Not much. It's very simple. We want the hostages back immediately, and we want some good behavior. It's pretty simple. You don't get simpler. Think of it. We've signed every country in the Middle East. This was like an impossible thing. It's never been done before. This was more than Gaza. Gaza was big stuff. But this is Gaza is a piece of it.”

On the possibility of Hamas rejecting the plan, he added, “I will let them go and do what they have to do. They can do it pretty easily. I would let them go and do what they have to do. You know, we've killed about 25,000 Hamas, so certainly they've paid a big price for October 7. And this is a whole new group. You know, they come in and they come in and they keep coming, but this is a whole different group. And their leadership has been killed three different times. So they've paid a big price. We hope that they're going to have a nice calm life. Maybe it won't happen. But if it does, it will be one of the greatest things ever to happen and we'll have actual peace in the Middle East.”

Associated Press reported that Hamas said that they will discuss U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza within the militant group and with other Palestinian factions before responding.

A Palestinian source told AFP that "Hamas has begun a series of consultations within its political and military leaderships, both inside Palestine and abroad. The discussions could take several days due to the complexities."

Trump hailed the announcement of his peace plan on Monday as a historic moment, describing it as a "beautiful day -- potentially one of the greatest days ever in civilisation."