President Donald Trump has delivered what he called a “last warning” to Hamas, urging the group to accept a U.S.-backed proposal to release hostages from Gaza — a deal he said Israel has already endorsed.
Although the White House did not reveal the terms of the agreement, Trump predicted a breakthrough “very soon” as he spoke to reporters in Washington after attending the U.S. Open final in New York.
“I think we’re going to get them all,” he said of the remaining hostages. There are 48 hostages still being held in Gaza, with 20 believed to be alive.
Reuters reported the Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Monday that Israel had accepted Trump’s ceasefire proposal. Israeli officials did not immediately reply to NBC News’ request for comment.
On Sunday, Hamas said it had received “some ideas” from the U.S. through mediators, and it was in contact with them to “develop these ideas into a comprehensive agreement.”
Trump’s latest intervention came as Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also issued a “final warning” on Monday, demanding Hamas release the hostages and lay down arms “or Gaza will be destroyed.”
Israel has pressed on with its offensive to take control of Gaza City, which is expected to displace hundreds of thousands of people, most of them already uprooted multiple times during the war.
On Truth Social, Trump wrote that Israel had “accepted my terms,” without giving details. “It is time for Hamas to accept as well.”
He said Hamas had been “warned about the consequences of not accepting.” “This is my last warning,” he added.
Israel’s Channel 12 News reported that all 48 hostages would be handed over on the first day of the proposed deal, in exchange for the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners. The report said Israel would halt plans to occupy Gaza City and begin negotiations to end the war.
Hamas reiterated its readiness for negotiations to release all hostages in exchange for “a clear declaration of an end to the war” and a “full withdrawal” of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Benny Gantz, a former defense minister and rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s, wrote on X that Israel’s response to the deal “must be a clear and unequivocal yes,” urging opposition parties to provide “all the necessary political backing.”
Israel launched its military campaign after the Hamas-led terror attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, which saw 1,200 people killed and around 250 people taken hostage.
Since then, Palestinian health officials say, Israeli forces have killed more than 64,000 people in Gaza, including thousands of children, while driving most of the population from their homes and destroying or damaging most of its buildings and infrastructure.
