US President Donald Trump Issues Weekend Deadline for Hamas to Agree to Gaza Agreement

Middle East Crisis
This comprehensive ceasefire proposal is the latest bid to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

US President Trump has delivered a time limit to the Hamas organization, demanding them to approve a American ceasefire agreement for Gaza otherwise face extreme actions.

Through a statement on his online platform on Friday, the President stated that an agreement must be finalized by 18:00 Washington time (22:00 GMT) on Sunday.

The proposed agreement includes an immediate cessation to fighting and the return within three days of twenty surviving Israel captives held by Hamas—as well as the remains of individuals believed to be deceased—in return for many of imprisoned residents.

Arab and Turkish intermediaries are believed to be urging the organization for a favorable answer to the proposal, but a prominent Hamas figure has indicated that the militant group is likely to refuse it.

"If this LAST CHANCE settlement is not achieved, severe retaliation, similar to nobody has before seen, will occur against the group. THERE WILL BE CALM IN THE MIDDLE EAST BY ANY MEANS," the President wrote in the social media post.

Negotiators have made contact with the head of Hamas's military wing in Gaza, who has suggested that he is opposed to the recent US ceasefire initiative, as per reports.

It is thought that some of Hamas's political leadership in the Gulf state are willing to accepting the plan with changes—but have discovered their authority limited as they do not have control over the hostages held by the organization.

Another obstacle for some in Hamas is that the plan requires them to surrender each and every the hostages over the first 72 hours of the ceasefire—relinquishing their primary leverage point.

It is estimated to be 48 detainees presently being held in the Palestinian area by the militant faction, just 20 of whom are estimated to be surviving.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led assault on Israeli territory on October 7, 2023, in which roughly 1,200 civilians were killed and hundreds others were taken hostage.

A minimum of thousands of people have been fatally injured in Israeli operations in the territory from that point, according to the region's Hamas-run health authority.

Jamie Willis
Jamie Willis

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