Desk Report:
US President Donald Trump has given Hamas three to four days to respond to his 20-point peace plan. The plan includes a ceasefire, the release of Hamas hostages within 72 hours, the disarmament of Hamas and a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. It also proposes the formation of a post-war interim authority, which Trump himself would lead.
In response to questions from reporters at the White House, Trump said, “I’m giving Hamas three to four days. All the other parties have signed on to it, only Hamas has to make a decision. All the Arab countries agree to it, Muslim countries agree to it, Israel agrees – only Hamas has to make a decision. If they don’t, the consequences will be very sad.”
The US president’s comments came a day after announcing his 20-point peace plan for Gaza. When Trump unveiled the peace plan on Monday (September 29), he called it a “beautiful day” and said, “This could be one of the greatest days in the history of civilization.”
On the other hand, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood next to Trump and said, “I support your plan to end the war in Gaza. It will achieve our war goals. However, if Hamas rejects or accepts your plan but actually creates obstacles, then Israel will finish the job alone.”
Meanwhile, a Palestinian source told AFP that Hamas has started talks between its political and military leadership, which are being held in coordination inside and outside Palestine. Due to the complexity of the talks, it could take several days.
The war in Gaza began after Hamas’ attack on October 7 last year. The attack killed 1,219 people in Israel. Large parts of Gaza have now been reduced to rubble in the Israeli counter-offensive and the Palestinian Health Ministry says 66,055 people have died in Gaza so far.
