Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly urged Israel to halt its bombardment of Gaza, arguing that continuing airstrikes would endanger the safe release of hostages, following Hamas’s conditional acceptance of parts of his peace proposal.
In a potential breakthrough in the nearly two-year-long Gaza war, Hamas announced on Friday that it has agreed to release all remaining Israeli hostages, both living and deceased under the terms of a 20-point ceasefire plan proposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump. The announcement marks a significant shift in the long-running conflict that began with the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel and has since claimed tens of thousands of lives.
Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that governs the Gaza Strip, conveyed its acceptance of the core elements of Trump’s peace initiative and indicated a willingness to immediately begin mediated talks to finalize the details. The proposal was delivered earlier in the week by Qatari and Egyptian officials, both of whom have played key roles in previous negotiations.
The Trump administration’s plan, revealed Monday during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the White House, includes several key provisions: the release of all 48 Israeli hostages (including the bodies of the deceased), a complete disarmament of Hamas, a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, a surge in humanitarian aid, and the establishment of a civilian-led governing authority for Palestinians in the territory. The plan does not mention the creation of a future Palestinian state, a longstanding point of contention in Middle East diplomacy, and a concept Netanyahu has repeatedly opposed.
Trump, speaking forcefully about the urgency of the situation, issued what he described as a final ultimatum to Hamas. In a post on his Truth Social platform, the former president declared that the group had until 6 p.m. Sunday to accept the agreement.
“If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas,” he wrote.
Trump stated that more than 25,000 Hamas fighters have been killed since the war began and claimed that the remaining fighters are “surrounded and militarily trapped.” He warned that unless the ceasefire is accepted, a devastating new phase of military action could begin. “I am asking that all innocent Palestinians immediately leave this area of potentially great future death for safer parts of Gaza,” he added.
Despite the threats, Trump emphasized that the deal offers Hamas an opportunity to avoid further destruction. “This deal also spares the lives of all remaining Hamas fighters,” he said. “The violence and bloodshed will stop. We will have peace in the Middle East one way or the other.”
The ceasefire proposal has received backing from a number of regional powers, including Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey. Netanyahu, appearing alongside Trump earlier this week, signaled that while Israel supports the plan, it will not hesitate to act unilaterally if Hamas fails to comply.
“This can be done the easy way, or it can be done the hard way,” Netanyahu said. “But it will be done. We prefer the easy way, but it has to be done.”
Trump echoed that stance, stating that if Hamas fails to uphold the agreement, Israel will have his “full backing to finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas.”
While Hamas’s public acceptance of the deal’s main points represents a notable development, uncertainties remain. The group’s willingness to fully disarm and relinquish its role in governing Gaza two central conditions of the plan may prove challenging to implement. Additionally, the plan’s omission of any framework for a two-state solution may limit broader Palestinian support.
The conflict, which erupted after Hamas’s October 2023 attack that left 1,200 Israelis dead and over 250 taken hostage, has since escalated into one of the deadliest wars in recent Middle Eastern history. According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli retaliatory strikes a figure Israel disputes, citing questions over the credibility of the source.
As Sunday’s deadline approaches, the world watches closely. The next 48 hours could determine whether a path toward peace is finally opening or whether the region is on the verge of renewed devastation.
