Hamas ‘will pay in hell’ – Trump

The Gaza based militant group has up to four days to respond to the US president’s 20-point peace proposal

The Hamas militant group has four days to accept US President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan.

Unveiled by the White House during Trump’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, the plan calls for an immediate ceasefire, a hostages-for-prisoners exchange, a phased Israeli withdrawal, and a transitional international administration. It also envisions Gaza as a “deradicalized, terror-free zone,” where Hamas is excluded from governance.

Responding to a reporter’s question about how much time Hamas has to respond, Trump said, “we’re gonna do about three or four days,” adding the group had “not much” room to negotiate. “Hamas is either going to be doing it or it’s not, and if it’s not, it’s going to be a sad end,” he said.

Later, in a War Department address at Marine Corps Base Quantico, he added: “We have one signature that we need, and that signature will pay in hell if they don’t sign.”

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If Hamas rejects the plan or violates it, Israel will have his “full backing,” he said.

Netanyahu, who has endorsed the proposal, warned that Israel would “finish the job” of eradicating Hamas if the group refuses.

Hamas was not part of the negotiations that produced the plan, which requires the group to disarm – a demand it has long rejected along with any proposals that exclude Palestinian self-determination.

Mediators Qatar and Egypt shared Trump’s plan with the militant group late on Monday, and officials close to the talks told media they pledged to review it “in good faith.” A formal response is still pending.

READ MORE: Palestinian Authority backs Trump peace plan

Nearly a dozen Arab and Muslim-majority nations, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, and Egypt, have backed Trump’s peace initiative. The Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs the West Bank, welcomed the plan, calling it a “sincere and determined effort” to achieve peace in Gaza. Under the proposal, the PA would assume control of Gaza once the conflict ends and reforms required by the deal are implemented.