Trump sets Sunday deadline for Hamas to agree to deal for ending war in Gaza

US President Donald Trump on Friday said Hamas must agree to a proposed peace deal for Gaza by 6.00 pm Eastern Time on Sunday (3.30 am IST, Saturday) and threatened that the group would suffer more attacks if it didn't.

“An Agreement must be reached with Hamas by Sunday Evening at SIX (6) P.M., Washington, D.C. time,” Trump wrote on social media. “Every Country has signed on! If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas. THERE WILL BE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.”

The Republican president unveiled a 20-point Gaza peace plan alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week.

Israel and the US are pushing the new ceasefire proposal, which would require Hamas to disarm, order an immediate ceasefire, implement a phased Israeli withdrawal, and allow a transition government under international oversight.

Analysts expect Hamas to push back on certain points, particularly on disarmament and the transitional governance structure, but they may still use the proposal as a negotiation base. Some reports suggest Hamas is leaning toward accepting the plan, albeit with amendments.

Netanyahu has expressed willingness to let Hamas fighters leave Gaza under certain conditions if a ceasefire is secured, while also insisting on the dismantling of Hamas’s military capabilities. Meanwhile, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2735 (adopted June 2024) remains the international blueprint for a hostage-exchange and ceasefire deal backed by the US, Egypt, and Qatar.

Yet the path to lasting peace is fraught. Past ceasefires have collapsed when one or both sides broke the truce. Israel resumed full-scale airstrikes in March, ending a prior lull. Hamas and its military leadership have publicly rejected the current proposal as biased and harmful to their core demands, particularly regarding their future political role.

Meanwhile, Gaza faces a catastrophic humanitarian crisis as Israel ramps up its campaign to clear Gaza City. Israel has effectively encircled the city, blocking its main road and ordering its remaining residents to evacuate southward or face being treated as militants. Tanks and military units guard exit routes, which Israel describes as a last chance for civilians to leave, though it has barred reentry. Between 600,000 and 700,000 people may still be in the city despite previous mass evacuations.

In recent days, at least 77 Palestinians were reported killed in intensive Israeli strikes across Gaza, with some casualties in and around Gaza City. In total, more than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict so far, with thousands more wounded. Hospitals across Gaza are overwhelmed, many damaged or forced to shut down, and life-saving services are nearing collapse.

The United Nations and humanitarian agencies have strongly denounced Israel’s evacuation orders and the idea of “safe zones” in southern Gaza, calling them “farcical” and warning they are often “places of death”. Because of the full scale of destruction and the ongoing bombardment, few locations offer real safety for displaced residents.

With AP/PTI inputs