US President Donald Trump said that Hamas has three to four days to react to his 20-point peace plan, which demands a ceasefire, the release of hostages within 72 hours, disarming Hamas, and a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The plan also foresees a post-war transitional authority headed by Trump himself.
Talking at the White House, Trump stated, "I will give Hamas 3-4 days to react to my peace plan. The other parties are all signed up, and they are just waiting for Hamas." Trump added a warning in his tone, "All of the Arab countries are signed up. The Muslim countries are signed up. Israel is signed up.". We're simply waiting for Hamas, and Hamas is either going to do it or not, and if it does not, it will be a very tragic ending.
The comments were made one day after Trump formally rolled out the 20-point plan.
Hamas has opened a series of consultations among its political and military leaderships, both within Palestine and outside," a Palestinian source said to AFP. "The consultations may take a few days as they are complex."
On Monday, Trump labelled the unveiling of the plan as a "beautiful day -- potentially one of the greatest days ever in civilisation.
In a press conference with Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave his approval, stating, "I am for your proposal for the end of the war in Gaza, which realizes our war objectives." He also cautioned, "If Hamas spurns your proposal, Mr President, or if they allegedly accept it and then more or less do all to thwart it, then Israel will complete the task on its own."
The Gaza conflict started after an October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas that resulted in the killing of 1,219 individuals in Israel. Israel's military actions have destroyed large parts of Gaza, with the ministry of health thus far reporting 66,055 Palestinian casualties.
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