Deborah Akinyosoye
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Hamas will face severe consequences if it does not accept within a few days his Gaza peace deal that calls for the disarmament of the Palestinian militant group.
“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 told US generals and admirals in Quantico, Virginia.
He earlier told reporters he was giving Hamas “three or four days” to respond to the proposed deal.
The plan calls for a ceasefire, release of hostages by Hamas within 72 hours, disarmament of Hamas and gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, followed by a post-war transitional authority headed by Trump himself.
The deal also demands that Hamas militants be excluded from future roles in the government, but those who agreed to “peaceful co-existence” would be given amnesty.
World powers, including Arab and Muslim nations, welcomed the proposal, but Hamas has yet to issue its response.
AFP