Deir Al-Balah (Gaza Strip): US President Donald Trump on Friday issued a stern ultimatum to Hamas, stating that the group must agree to a proposed peace deal by Sunday evening, warning of a potentially unprecedented military escalation if it refuses. The announcement comes nearly two years after the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas that killed over 1,200 people in Israel and led to the ongoing war.
“An Agreement must be reached with Hamas by Sunday Evening at SIX (6) P.M., Washington, D.C. time,” Trump wrote on social media. “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.”
Trump unveiled the plan earlier this week alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It calls for Hamas to immediately release the remaining 48 hostages, of whom about 20 are believed to be alive, and to disarm. In return, Israel would halt its offensive, withdraw from much of Gaza, release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and allow humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts. Plans to relocate Gaza’s population abroad would be cancelled, and the territory of roughly two million Palestinians would be placed under international governance overseen by Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
While Israel has accepted the plan, key mediators, including Egypt and Qatar, as well as at least one Hamas official, have said certain elements require further negotiation. A Hamas representative told The Associated Press that some aspects are unacceptable but did not provide specifics.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has deepened since Israel ended a March ceasefire. The territory has been sealed off from food, medicine, and other essentials for over two months. Large areas have been seized and depopulated, and experts say Gaza City faced famine before Israel launched a major offensive. An estimated 400,000 residents have fled, yet many remain.
Olga Cherevko, spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office, described displaced families she saw sheltering in Shifa Hospital’s parking lot, noting, “They are not able to move south because they just cannot afford it. One family had three children, and the woman was pregnant with her fourth. There were many other vulnerable cases, including elderly people and people with disabilities.” Trump indicated that most of Hamas’ fighters are “surrounded and MILITARILY TRAPPED,” and warned that any resistance would be swiftly eliminated. While thousands of Hamas fighters and leaders have already been killed, the group continues to operate in areas beyond Israeli control, occasionally striking Israeli soldiers. Hamas has insisted it will release hostages only in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal—conditions Netanyahu has rejected. The October 2023 attacks by Hamas targeted army bases, farms, and a music festival. Since then, Israel’s counteroffensive has killed over 66,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health
Ministry, which estimates that women and children constitute about half the fatalities. The offensive has displaced roughly 90 per cent of Gaza’s population, leaving much of the territory uninhabitable.