US President Donald Trump has laid down the law to Hamas, giving them a strict deadline to sign off on a peace proposal regarding Gaza. He warned that failure to comply would result in severe consequences.
In a post on his Truth Social account last Friday, Trump specified that Hamas has until 18:00 Washington time on Sunday (22:00 GMT) to come to an agreement.
The proposed peace initiative calls for an instant halt to hostilities and demands that 20 Israeli hostages currently held by Hamas, along with the remains of deceased prisoners, be released within 72 hours. In exchange, hundreds of Gazans who are detained would be freed.
According to sources, Arab and Turkish mediators are pushing Hamas to answer positively to this offer. However, a senior official within Hamas has indicated that the group is inclined to reject the proposal.
Trump emphasized the stakes in his statement: “If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, then all HELL, unlike anything ever seen, will ensue against Hamas. THERE WILL BE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST ONE WAY OR ANOTHER,” he posted on Truth Social.
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