By Enyichukwu Enemanna
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday gave Hamas an ultimatum of “three or four days” to respond to his plan for Gaza, warning that there will be a” very sad end” if the deal is not accepted.
This comes as the militant group reviews the proposal, which has the backing of Israel.
The proposal calls for a ceasefire, release of hostages by Hamas within 72 hours, disarmament of Hamas and gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, followed by a post-war transitional authority to be headed by Trump himself.
World powers, including Arab and Muslim nations, welcomed the proposal, but Hamas which is still reviewing the deal is yet to issue its response.
“We’re going to do about three or four days,” Trump told reporters when asked about any timeframe.
“We’re just waiting for Hamas, and Hamas is either going to be doing it or not. And if it’s not, it’s going to be a very sad end.”
Trump announced the deal at the White House on Monday after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
On Tuesday, a Palestinian source said on condition of anonymity that Hamas had begun consultations on the plan “within its political and military leaderships, both inside Palestine and abroad”.
“The discussions could take several days due to the complexities,” the source said.
Qatar, which hosts Hamas’s exiled leadership, said the group had promised to study the proposal “responsibly”, and also said it would hold a meeting with Hamas and Turkey later on Tuesday.
“It is still too early to speak about responses, but we are truly optimistic that this plan, as we said, is a comprehensive one,” foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said.
The deal demands that Hamas militants fully disarm and be excluded from future roles in the government, but those who agreed to “peaceful co-existence” would be given amnesty.
It would also see a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, after nearly two years of war sparked by Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Netanyahu in a video statement posted after the joint press conference with Trump however said the military would stay in most of Gaza, and also that he did not agree to a Palestinian state during his talks in Washington.
“We will recover all our hostages, alive and well, while the (Israeli military) will remain in most of the Gaza Strip,” he said.
During his press conference with Trump, Netanyahu cast doubt on whether the Palestinian Authority, which nominally runs Palestinian population centres in the ooccupied West Bank, would be allowed a role in Gaza’s governance.
Trump noted that during their meeting Netanyahu had strongly opposed any Palestinian statehood, something that the US plan leaves room for.
“I support your plan to end the war in Gaza which achieves our war aims,” Netanyahu said.
“If Hamas rejects your plan, Mr President, or if they supposedly accept it and then basically do everything to counter it, then Israel will finish the job by itself.”
