President Donald Trump has cautioned that “unprecedented devastation will be unleashed upon Hamas” if the militant organization does not accept the proposed agreement by his newly established deadline.
“We will achieve peace in the Middle East, one way or another. The bloodshed and violence must cease. Release all the hostages, including the remains of those deceased, immediately,” he stated on Friday. “This agreement also guarantees the lives of all remaining Hamas combatants.”
Granting Hamas “one final opportunity” to endorse the deal, which was announced on Monday, Trump set a deadline for acceptance at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday evening.
The President claimed that 25,000 Hamas members have already perished in the conflict, which is nearing its two-year mark on October 7. (TIME has been unable to independently verify this statistic.)
“As for the rest, we know your whereabouts and identities, and you will be hunted down and eliminated,” Trump warned.
Trump and Netanyahu presented their framework after a meeting at the White House on Monday.
The proposal encompasses a plan for the demilitarization of Hamas in Gaza, a phased withdrawal of the Israeli military, the unrestricted restoration of aid into Gaza, and the formation of a transitional “apolitical Palestinian committee” to govern the territory.
This “Board of Peace” in Gaza would be spearheaded by Trump, alongside former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, who has been involved in discussions between Palestinians and Israelis throughout his political career.
At the core of the Gaza agreement lies the demand for the release of all hostages. An estimated 48 hostages are believed to remain in Gaza, with Netanyahu confirming that 20 of them are still alive.
Once all captives are freed, Israel will release 250 prisoners serving life sentences plus 1700 Gazans who were detained after October 7, 2023.
Gaza will undergo reconstruction under the plan, with no Palestinians compelled to relocate, a point that has been important to residents of the territory and others in the international community.
Significantly, the 20-point strategy does not propose a two-state solution. Both Trump and Netanyahu have voiced opposition to Western nations recognizing Palestinian statehood. This issue was prominently featured in their respective addresses during the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Netanyahu has expressed approval of the 20-point plan, stating that it achieves Israel’s fundamental objectives.
“It will ensure the return of all our hostages to Israel, dismantle Hamas’s military capabilities, end its political governance, and guarantee that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel,” he declared during a joint press briefing with Trump on Monday.
“If Hamas rejects your proposal, Mr. President, or if they ostensibly accept it only to actively work against it, then Israel will complete the mission independently,” Netanyahu cautioned.
Many Western, Arab, and Muslim figures have also indicated their support for the initiative.
On Friday, the U.N. Humanitarian Affairs Chief welcomed Trump’s proposal for ending the Israel-Hamas war, describing it as a “window of opportunity.”
“It offers both a chance for Palestinians to receive urgently needed life-saving assistance and for the hostages to return home. We are prepared and eager to act,” said Fletcher, adding that the U.N. has “approximately 170,000 metric tons of food, medicine, shelter, and other critically needed provisions ready for entry into Gaza from across the region.”
Israel has escalated military operations in Gaza over recent weeks, expanding ground and air offensives in Gaza City, the territory’s most densely populated area. A significant portion of the area is currently under Israeli military control or subject to displacement orders, according to the U.N. There is growing concern over the humanitarian situation and the impact on civilians.
The Israel-Hamas conflict commenced after Hamas launched a terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of over 1,200 individuals and the abduction of approximately 250 hostages. Over 66,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war.
In the absence of independent on-the-ground monitoring, the ministry serves as the primary source for casualty statistics, relied upon by humanitarian organizations, journalists, and international bodies. Its figures do not differentiate between non-combatants and fighters and cannot be independently verified by TIME. Information from the IDF suggests different casualty figures.
