In Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip (AP) — President Donald Trump announced on Friday that Hamas has until Sunday evening to agree to a peace deal, threatening severe military action if there is no compliance. This intensifying strife comes almost two years post the devastating attack on Israel that occurred on October 7.
Trump is eager to fulfill his promise of bringing an end to hostilities and securing the release of numerous hostages before the significant anniversary on Tuesday. While his peace proposal has garnered backing from Israel and has been generally received positively on a global scale, key negotiators such as Egypt and Qatar, along with at least one official from Hamas, have indicated that certain components of the plan may require more negotiation, though they haven’t specified them.
“An agreement must be reached with Hamas by Sunday evening at 6 PM, Washington, D.C. time,” Trump stated emphatically on social media. “Every country has signed on! If this last chance agreement fails, the aftermath will be beyond any current chaos in history unleashed upon Hamas. There will be peace in the Middle East one way or another.”
End of Fighting and Hostage Release AKey Aspects of Trump’s Plan
Trump’s peace plan, revealed earlier this week in collaboration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, proposes that Hamas must immediately release the remaining 48 hostages—around twenty of whom are reported to be alive—and disband its military operations. Furthermore, it mandates Hamas yield control of the territories.
In return, Israel would pause its military operations, pull back from significant areas, release hundreds of Palestinian detainees, and allow humanitarian relief and rebuilding efforts. Plans to relocate a significant segment of Gaza’s population to other countries will be abandoned under this proposal.
The governance of the territory, home to roughly two million Palestinians, would shift to an international management structure, overseen by Trump himself and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. However, the proposal does not offer a resolution for eventual reunification with the Israeli-occupied West Bank in pursuit of a future Palestinian state.
A spokesperson from Hamas has commented to the Associated Press this week, stating that certain aspects of Trump’s plan are unacceptable and warrant revisions, without going into specifics. Many Palestinians desperately wish for peace but are wary that both this plan and past U.S. offers disproportionately favor Israel.
U.S. and Israel Increase Pressure on Hamas
Since terminating a previous ceasefire in March, Israel has been escalating its pressure on Hamas. This included a blockade that cut off essential supplies like food and medicine for 2.5 months, followed by operations that have decimated neighborhoods and greatly reduced the population of affected regions.
Experts have indicated that Gaza City was teetering on the brink of famine shortly before Israel’s large-scale offensive, which have driven out about 400,000 from the city. However, many others have chosen to remain amidst the chaos.
During a recent visit, Olga Cherevko, spokesperson for the U.N. humanitarian office, described witnessing many displaced families, including one with three children and a pregnant mother unable to escape the northern regions.
“They can’t afford to move south,” Cherevko shared. “It’s devastating to see how many vulnerable families, including the elderly and disabled, are still sheltering in places like the Shifa Hospital parking lot.”
Trump has insisted that many Hamas operatives are currently “surrounded and militarily trapped, awaiting the command to initiate their destruction.” Currently, most senior leaders and thousands of Hamas fighters have been killed, but the group still retains influence in certain areas not under Israeli control, launching sporadic attacks that have resulted in casualties among Israeli soldiers.
Hamas persists in its demands to tie any hostage release to a lasting ceasefire paired with the withdrawal of Israeli military forces; Netanyahu insists, however, that Hamas must fully surrender and disarm without prerequisites.
The Conflict’s Second Anniversary Approaches
On October 7, 2023, thousands of fighters from Hamas infiltrated Israel, assaulting military bases, rural communities, and an outdoor festival, leading to roughly 1,200 deaths, primarily among civilians, and the kidnapping of 251 individuals—most of whom have since been released through ceasefires or other arrangements.
The resulting Israeli response has tragically claimed the lives of over 66,000 Palestinians according to numbers from Gaza’s Health Ministry, though the distinction between combatants and civilians remains unreported. It’s asserted that around half of all deaths recorded are women and children.
As part of Hamas’s governance structure, the ministry is seen as a reliable source for estimating wartime casualties, according to the U.N. and numerous independent analysts.
The military operations have displaced nearly 90% of Gaza’s population, frequently forcing them to move several times and rendering large parts of the area uninhabitable.
Both the Biden and Trump administrations have attempted to mediate an end to the violence while advocating for the retrieval of hostages and providing ongoing military and diplomatic assistance to Israel.
___
Khaled reported from Cairo, with contributions from Associated Press writer Chris Megerian in Washington.
___
For continuous updates on the conflict, follow AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
