Former U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a final warning to Hamas, urging immediate action regarding a potential peace agreement in Gaza. Trump warned that delays would not be tolerated and that failure to comply would render all previous efforts futile. He emphasized the need for a swift resolution, with justice for all, and demanded Hamas make a decision promptly, warning that all terms would be considered void if they didn’t.
Trump commended Israel’s temporary pause in its bombing campaign to allow for the release of hostages and the potential completion of a peace agreement. He cautioned Hamas to either surrender its weapons or halt the fighting, and assured that the agreement would include provisions for both Israel and Hamas.
Trump had previously stated that Hamas had until 6 p.m. on Sunday to agree to the proposed peace deal for the Gaza Strip, or the extremist group would face increased attacks. Trump is keen on delivering on his pledge to end the conflict and ensure the return of dozens of hostages prior to the second anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7.
The plan presented by the former U.S. President to restore peace in the Gaza Strip has been accepted by Israel and has been welcomed internationally. However, major mediators like Egypt and Qatar, and a top Hamas leader, have stated that further discussions are required on certain aspects, but they have not elaborated.
Trump said in a social media post that every nation had signed on to the agreement. He added that if this final opportunity for agreement failed, Hamas would face consequences never before seen. He vowed to establish peace in the West Asia region.
Following Trump’s statement, Hamas accepted some aspects of the American plan to end the war in Gaza, prompting Trump to order Israel to immediately halt its bombing. Hamas said it would release hostages and hand over power to other Palestinians, though detailed discussions on certain points of the plan would take place among Palestinians. Senior Hamas officials noted that there were some key disagreements requiring detailed discussion.
Following Hamas’s acceptance of some aspects of the American plan to end the war in Gaza, the Israeli military announced on Saturday that it would speed up preparations for the first stage of the plan. The military said Israeli leaders have instructed them to expedite the implementation of the plan. An official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Israel had adopted a defensive posture in Gaza and would not attack. The official said no security forces had been removed from Gaza.