US President Donald Trump has laid out a stark choice for Hamas: accept a comprehensive peace deal or face utter destruction. The 20-point plan, presented with a tight 3-4 day deadline, forces the militant group to decide between its own survival as an armed entity and the future of the Gaza Strip.
Speaking to reporters, Trump emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating that Israel would “do what it needs to do” if Hamas rejects the offer. This warning comes with the backing of what Trump describes as a complete international consensus, including Israel, Arab nations, and other global powers, leaving Hamas with few, if any, allies.
The American-brokered deal proposes a complete cessation of the war that has claimed over 66,000 Palestinian lives since October 2023. It offers the withdrawal of Israeli forces and a massive humanitarian aid package for Gaza. In exchange for this, Hamas must release all hostages and, critically, surrender all of its weapons and political power.
This demand for capitulation is a high price for peace. However, the alternative, as hinted by Trump, is a military campaign of devastating finality. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already accepted the plan, signaling his readiness to proceed based on Hamas’s response.
As Hamas leadership convenes to discuss the proposal, the weight of their decision is immense. It will not only seal their own fate but will also determine if the people of Gaza will see relief and reconstruction or suffer through another chapter of horrific violence.