Journalism of Courage
US President Donald Trump has given a tight deadline to Hamas for accepting his Gaza peace plan, warning of a “sad end” if if they refuse to accept the conditions.
Palestinian militant group Hamas is yet undecided on whether to accept the peace deal proposed by US President Donald Trump on Monday. The Gaza peace deal, which Israel has already accepted, would see Hamas disarm, a demand which the militants have so far rejected.
However, with the world’s eyes on them, Hamas is under pressure to accept the deal, which has been endorsed by the leaders of key Arab countries.
Soon after the peace deal was announced, Hamas on Monday said it is studying the proposal made by the Trump administration.
Hamas was not involved in the negotiations that led to the proposal. However, an official briefed on the talks told Reuters that the group “would review it in good faith and provide a response”.
The deal is a bitter pill for Hamas to swallow, and a source close to the militants told Reuters they see it as “completely biased to Israel” and imposed “impossible conditions” that aimed to eliminate the group.
“What Trump has proposed is the full adoption of all Israeli conditions, which do not grant the Palestinian people or the residents of the Gaza Strip any legitimate rights,” a Palestinian official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.
Other reports say that Hamas could take several days to respond to the peace deal. But time might be running out for Hamas as Trump says he will give them ‘three or four days’ to decide.
He told reporters while departing the White House that Israeli and Arab leaders had accepted the plan and “we’re just waiting for Hamas.”
He said the terror group has about “three or four days” to respond.
“Hamas is either going to be doing it or not, and if it’s not, it’s going to be a very sad end,” he says.
Asked if there is room for negotiations on the peace plan, Trump says: “Not much.”
On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said that if Hamas does not accept the peace deal, “Israel will finish the job.”
If Hamas accepts the deal, the militant group will have to release all the Israeli hostages, disarm, and also relinquish administrative authority in Gaza.
But many observers feel that Hamas may not have many options as the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Egypt all have already welcomed the deal.
On Monday, Netanyahu also apologised to his Qatari counterpart for the September 9 attack in Doha targeting Hamas leaders there.
According to reports, Qatar, which is hosting the top leadership of Hamas, had made an apology from Netanyahu a must for bringing the militant group to accept the peace deal.
On Monday, Trump had said that if Hamas accepts the peace deal, the 48 hostages who are in Gaza would return home within 72 hours.
Israel began its Gaza offensive after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led assault on Israel in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken as hostages back to Gaza. The offensive has killed over 66,000 people in Gaza.
