Trump demands Hamas agree to a prisoner swap, offering thousands of Palestinian inmates for the release of all 48 hostages.
Israel is “seriously considering” the proposal, with talks suggesting a deal is close as the war enters its 23rd month.
Israel’s foreign minister hints that Hamas’ surrender and hostage release could bring an end to the ongoing Gaza conflict.
Trump’s 'Last Warning' to Hamas: Accept Hostage Deal or Face Consequences
Trump warns Hamas to accept a new ceasefire deal for hostage release, calling it his final ultimatum to end the Gaza crisis.
Summary
US President Donald Trump demanded that Hamas accept a deal to free hostages from Gaza, calling it his "last warning" to the Palestinian militant organisation.
"The Israelis have accepted my Terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. "I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning, there will not be another one!"
Quoting Israel’s N12 Reuters reported that Trump has presented Hamas with a new ceasefire proposal. As per the agreement, thousands of Palestinian inmates would be imprisoned in exchange for Hamas releasing all 48 hostages on the first day of the truce.
An Israeli official said Israel was "seriously considering" Trump's proposal but did not elaborate on its details.
Later in the day, speaking to reporters, the US president stated that a deal for Gaza was near.
"I think we're going to have a deal on Gaza very soon. It's a hell of a problem... I think we're going to get [all the hostages]," said Trump, adding that the Gaza war is a problem "we want to solve for the Middle East, for Israel, for everyone."
Trump stated that the remaining hostages could be less than 20 as the war enters its 23rd month, as per The Hindustan Times.
"So they [Hamas] have hostages, could be less than 20 because you know, they tend to die. Even though they are young people, largely, they are dying," said Trump.
Gideon Saar, Israel's foreign minister, stated on Sunday that if Hamas surrendered its weapons and freed the captives, the battle in Gaza might come to an end.
A day after Hamas reaffirmed its long-standing stance that it would release all hostages if Israel agreed to a cease-fire and remove its troops from Gaza City, he made these remarks at a press conference with his Danish counterpart in Jerusalem.
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