‘Sunday or else’: Trump sets ultimatum for Hamas on Gaza deal

US President Donald Trump has slapped a hard deadline on Hamas: accept Washington’s Gaza peace plan by 6 p.m. ET (22:00 GMT) on Sunday or face, in his words, “all HELL.” The warning, posted Friday on Truth Social, caps a week of shuttle messaging with regional go-betweens and a proposal Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rolled out at the White House on Monday.

At its core, the plan calls for an immediate halt to the fighting and the release — within 72 hours — of 20 living Israeli hostages, plus the remains of those believed dead, in exchange for hundreds of detained Gazans. It also opens the door to massive aid flows “immediately” once both sides sign on, and sketches a postwar setup in Gaza led by a temporary, “technocratic, apolitical” Palestinian committee overseen by a new international body, the Board of Peace — headed by Trump. Hamas would be barred from governing, and Israel would gradually pull back as an Arab-led stabilization force moves in.

Whether Hamas will bite is another matter. Arab and Turkish mediators are pressing for a yes, but a senior figure tied to the group’s military wing in Gaza has signaled likely rejection. Some political leaders in Qatar appear more open — if they can tweak terms — but they don’t control the hostages, and the plan demands Hamas hand them all over in the first 72 hours, giving up its main leverage. US and regional officials say communication gaps with Hamas commanders inside Gaza are slowing any formal reply.

The White House is framing the choice starkly. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the consequences of a “no” would be “very grave,” calling Trump’s deadline a red line. Trump himself wrote that if Hamas refuses, Israel will have US backing to “finish the job.” Netanyahu has echoed that posture even as he publicly restated opposition to a Palestinian state — despite the plan’s language leaving that option on the table.

Beyond the hostage swap, the 20-point proposal would require Hamas to disarm and see its tunnel-and-rocket infrastructure destroyed and not rebuilt under outside monitoring. In return, Israel would free 250 Palestinians serving life sentences and about 1,700 detained since the war began. Hamas members who lay down arms could receive amnesty after the exchange and a commitment to nonviolence.

Gulf capitals are signaling they may push ahead with pieces of the “day after” blueprint even without Hamas’ blessing, arguing the region can’t wait while the group deliberates. The draft explicitly contemplates moving forward in areas Israel deems cleared of Hamas operatives. Supporters say the goal is to tamp down regional risk and get reconstruction started; critics warn that trying to build “safe zones” amid an active conflict is perilous and potentially unworkable.

All of this unfolds as Israel tightens its offensive around Gaza City, urging civilians to evacuate toward the southern al-Mawasi area, and as humanitarian agencies warn that so-called safe zones aren’t actually safe. The stakes around Sunday’s deadline are obvious: a fragile shot at a ceasefire-and-release package — or another turn of the screw in a war that has already exacted a staggering human cost.

With input from BBC, CNN, and Bloomberg.