Donald Trump issues Hamas with new Gaza peace deadline, or face ‘all hell’

Donald Trump has set a deadline for Hamas to accept a deal^[1] to end the devastating war in Gaza.

The US president warned that if the “last chance” agreement he has put on the table is not reached, “all hell will break out against Hamas.” In a Truth Social post he said: “An Agreement must be reached with Hamas by Sunday Evening at SIX (6) P.M., Washington, D.C. time. 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. THERE WILL BE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.”

The warning came days after the White House released Trump’s plan to end the war, which would see Gaza governed by a transitional body called the “Board of Peace”, headed by the Republican politician himself alongside other members including former British PM Tony Blair^[2]. Trump unveiled the proposal alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu^[3] on Monday. Netanyahu said Israel agreed to the terms.

But as the deadline for Hamas to accept the agreement looms, Israeli^[5] troops have pressed on with their Gaza offensive, including targeting Al-Falah school in the eastern Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City. First responders were among the casualties. Israel^[6] has killed at least 66,005 Palestinians in Gaza since the Hamas attack during which 1,200 people were killed in Israel in October 2023.

After Trump shared his plan to end the war, Hamas said it would study it before responding. Some politicians including Egypt’s Foreign Minister Bader Abdelatty have said the proposal needs more negotiations on certain elements, echoing remarks made by Qatar^[7] a day earlier. Egypt and Qatar have been the two key mediators in an effort to reach an end to fighting.

Trump’s 20-point plan demands Hamas release hostages, leave power in Gaza and disarm in return for the release of Palestinian prisoners and an end to fighting. It also pledges a flow of humanitarian aid and promises reconstruction in Gaza, placing it and its more than two million Palestinians under international governance.