President Donald Trump issued a Sunday evening deadline for Hamas to accept a U.S.-brokered ceasefire proposal, warning that if the militant group refuses, "all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out."
In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump set a 6 p.m. Washington deadline for Hamas to respond to the 20-point plan he unveiled Monday at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The proposal includes the release of all 48 hostages held in Gaza, the dismantling of Hamas' weapons infrastructure, phased Israeli troop withdrawals, and the installation of an interim civilian governing authority backed by regional partners.
"This deal also spares the lives of all remaining Hamas fighters," Trump wrote. "The details of the document are known to the WORLD, and it is a great one for ALL! We will have PEACE in the Middle East one way or the other. The violence and bloodshed will stop. RELEASES THE HOSTAGES, ALL OF THEM, INCLUDING THE BODIES OF THOSE THAT ARE DEAD, NOW!"
Netanyahu, standing beside Trump during Monday's announcement, made clear Israel's position. "This can be done the easy way, or it can be done the hard way, but it will be done," Netanyahu said. "We prefer the easy way, but it has to be done." He added that if Hamas rejected the plan, Israel would "finish the job by itself."
The president claimed that 25,000 Hamas fighters have been killed since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and asserted that the remainder were "surrounded and MILITARILY TRAPPED." He urged civilians to evacuate areas under siege, writing: "I am asking that all innocent Palestinians immediately leave this area of potentially great future death for safer parts of Gaza."
Trump stressed the urgency of the proposal, noting that "every Country has signed on." Regional mediators from Qatar and Egypt confirmed they delivered the offer to Hamas' political wing in Doha earlier this week, though the group has not provided a definitive response. Trump said he spoke with Qatar's emir midweek for updates.
The terms of the proposal represent significant hurdles for Hamas, including demands to decommission its weapons, dismantle underground infrastructure, and accept exclusion from any future governance of Gaza. In exchange, Israel would free 250 Palestinians serving life sentences and 1,700 detained since the start of the war. The plan also outlines amnesty for Hamas members who commit to disarmament and peaceful co-existence.
Under the framework, Israel would begin a phased withdrawal as an International Stabilization Force led by Arab partners assumes security responsibilities. A Palestinian committee overseen by an international "Board of Peace" would temporarily administer Gaza until the Palestinian Authority is restructured to take over.
Despite his sharp rhetoric, Trump expressed optimism. "They're the only one left. Everyone else has accepted it, but I have a feeling that we're going to have a positive answer," he said.
