President Trump made clear on Tuesday that he will give Hamas "three or four days" to agree to his Gaza peace plan, "or pay in hell." He first unveiled his 20-point plan for ceasefire and permanent peace alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday.
Touting that Arab leaders have accepted the plan, Trump said that "we’re just waiting for Hamas" - and reports say that Qatari mediators had presented the plan to Hamas officials on Monday evening. Trump said there's "not much" room for any further negotiating over the plan's points when asked by a reporter.
"We have one signature that we need, and that signature will pay in hell if they don’t sign. I hope they sign for their own good and create something really great," Trump said before his big address US generals and admirals in Quantico, Virginia. He signed documents with Netanyahu, who agreed to the plan, on Monday.
One official involved in diplomacy told Reuters that "The Hamas negotiators said they would review it in good faith and provide a response."
But there's plenty in the plan which Hamas will likely object to, such as handing over all remaining hostages alongside only a partial Israeli withdrawal. The Palestinian militant group has long demanded a full IDF exit from the Strip as a firm condition for truce.
According to more from Reuters:
Many elements of the 20 points have been included in numerous ceasefire deals proposed over the last two years, including those accepted and then subsequently rejected at various stages by both Israel and Hamas.
A source close to Hamas told Reuters the plan was "completely biased to Israel" and imposed "impossible conditions" that aimed to eliminate the group.
A Palestinian official was further cited as saying, "What Trump has proposed is the full adoption of all Israeli conditions, which do not grant the Palestinian people or the residents of the Gaza Strip any legitimate rights."
The plan would oversee the full disarming of Hamas, and additional things the group is not likely to agree with. Trump had declared Monday on the 'Board of Peace' which would administer Gaza: "It would be headed by a gentleman known as President Donald J Trump of the United States. That’s what I want, some extra work to do, but it’s so important that I’m willing to do it."
"We’ll do it right … We’ll have a board. One of the people that wants to be on the board is the UK former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Good man, very good man. And some others," he said. There's reported to be billionaires under consideration.
Does anyone really think Hamas is going to lay down its arms so Tony Blair can come in and rule Palestinians and decide their future?