Hamas has ‘three or four days’ to respond to Gaza peace proposal, Trump warns

US President repeats threat to group should it fail to accept terms

US President Donald Trump predicted 'a very sad end' for Hamas should the Palestinian group reject his latest peace deal for Gaza. Bloomberg

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Hamas would face severe consequences if does not accept his peace and redevelopment proposal for Gaza in the coming days.

“We have one signature that we need, and that signature will pay in hell if they don't sign,” Mr Trump said during a speech to US troops.

“I hope they sign for their own good and create something really great.”

Earlier, Mr Trump said the US would give Hamas “three or four days” to respond to the proposal.

“We’ll see how it is,” he said. “All of the Arab countries are signed up. The Muslim countries are all signed up. Israel is all signed up. We’re just waiting for Hamas.”

He said Hamas was either “going to be doing it, or not, and if it’s not it’s going to be a very sad end”.

On Monday, Mr Trump, alongside Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, unveiled a 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza and redevelop the enclave. The leaders said the proposal would set the region on a path for peace.

Hamas said on Monday it was studying the proposal. Sources told The National the group – which is under immense pressure – was unlikely to reject the proposal outright, though it was expected to suggest amendments to some sections.

The plan calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli jails in exchange for all remaining hostages in Gaza, and the entry of unrestricted humanitarian aid to the enclave.

Hamas leaders wishing to lay down their arms and leave Gaza would be given amnesty. The plan does not require Palestinians to leave the war-ravaged territory. It also prohibits Israel from occupying or annexing it.

Although the plan stipulates the gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, no timeline was specified and it would allow the military to carve out a buffer zone along the perimeter of the territory.

The plan also includes the creation of a so-called Board of Peace, a temporary oversight body led by Mr Trump.

Former British prime minister Tony Blair has also been identified as a member of this board, and would occupy a senior role in the administration of Gaza.

“It's going to be called the Board of Peace, and it's going to reign over the territory, and we're going to get that done,” Mr Trump said on Tuesday.

“We're going to watch over that very volatile part of the world and keep it non volatile.”

The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas and allied militants attacked southern Israeli communities, killing about 1,200 people and abducting about 240.

Health officials in Gaza say Israel's relentless military campaign has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians and reduced much of the enclave to rubble.