President Trump issued a stark ultimatum to Hamas, warning the terrorist group to release all of its hostages now and accept a peace deal.
"Everyone wants the Hostages HOME. Everyone wants this War to end! The Israelis have accepted my Terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well. I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning, there will not be another one! Thank you for your attention to this matter," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Almost two years after launching the worst attack in Israel's history, Hamas still has about 50 Israeli hostages, around 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
Over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Trump's warning to Hamas echoed one from Israel, which threatened to obliterate Gaza City, the last bastion of Hamas forces, if the hostages are not released immediately.
“A mighty hurricane will hit the skies of Gaza City today, and the roofs of the terror towers will shake,” Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote on X.
“This is a final warning to the murderers and rapists of Hamas in Gaza and in the luxury hotels abroad: Release the hostages and lay down your weapons — or Gaza will be destroyed, and you will be annihilated.”
Israel did not confirm that it accepted Trump's deal, the terms of which were left clear.
The office of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is "giving very serious consideration to President Trump’s proposal,” adding, “Hamas will likely persist in its intransigence.”
Hamas said it welcomes negotiation after receiving "some ideas from the American side to reach a cease-fire agreement."
The terrorist group said it will release all of the hostages in return for a "clear declaration to end the war, a full withdrawal from Gaza, and the formation of a committee of Palestinian independents to manage Gaza."
But Israel has no intention of withdrawing from Gaza without guarantees that Hamas no longer poses a threat to Israel's security.
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel would accept an end to the war in return for all of the hostages and a disarmed Hamas - a demand Hamas has repeatedly rejected.
Despite both sides making what appear to be clashing demands, Trump told reporters Sunday that he anticipates a deal to end the war "very soon.”
