‘3 to 4 Days’: Trump Hands Hamas Deadline for Peace Plan Response as Arab, Muslim States Line Up in Support

Latest Developments

Deadline for Hamas: U.S. President Donald Trump said on September 30 that Hamas has ‘three to four’ days to accept the U.S.-proposed 20-step plan to permanently end the war in Gaza and release the remaining hostages held by the Iran-backed terrorist organization. “Hamas is either going to be doing it or not, and if it’s not, it’s going to be a very sad end,” Trump told reporters at the White House, clarifying that there was “not much” room for negotiations regarding the proposal. Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin traveled to Qatar on September 30 to present the plan to Hamas officials alongside Egyptian and Qatari mediators.
Arab, Muslim Nations Express Support: The foreign ministers of Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt issued a joint statement welcoming the plan following the September 29 meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump at the White House. The eight states commended Trump’s “leadership” and “sincere efforts to end the war in Gaza” and affirmed their “readiness to engage positively and constructively” toward the finalization of the agreement. A source close to Hamas told Reutersthat the plan for Gaza was “completely biased to Israel” in the eyes of the terrorist organization, presenting “impossible conditions” aimed at the eradication of the group.
Palestinian Terror Factions React to Plan as Gaza War Continues: Abu Ali Hassan, a senior figure in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), another terrorist organization in Gaza, called the U.S. plan “a recipe for managing the war and prolonging it, not for its end.” Separately, Ziad Nakhaleh, Secretary-General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), claimed that “Israel is attempting — via the United States — to impose what it could not achieve through war,” adding that the group considers “the American-Israeli declaration a formula for igniting the region.” As Hamas weighed its response to the proposal, the IDF bolstered the provision of humanitarian aid into Gaza, with Israel’s unit for the Coordination of Government Affairs in the Territories (COGAT) confirming on September 29 that 430 aid trucks had entered the enclave.

FDD Expert Response

“Israel’s strike targeting Hamas operatives in Qatar might turn out to be an incredibly successful failure. Weeks after landing in the IDF’s crosshairs, Qatar is now backing a plan for Gaza that contradicts several of Hamas’s core demands. Turkey, another longtime patron of Hamas that conceivably felt vulnerable after Israel’s strike in Doha, also endorsed Trump’s 20-point plan. Netanyahu’s apology to Qatar’s emir was likely a bitter pill to swallow, but if it helps end the war in Gaza and bring the hostages home, it’s one he’d probably swallow again.” — Natalie Ecanow, Senior Research Analyst

“The praise from Arab and Muslim countries for President Trump’s plan is a positive step, especially since they affirm that Hamas should neither remain in power in Gaza nor keep its weapons. The real question, however, is whether these states, namely Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, will finally exert pressure on Hamas if it rejects the plan or continues stalling. Given that they have failed to do so since October 7, the likelihood is low. The ball is not only in Hamas’s court but also in the court of the states that have enabled it.” —Ahmad Sharawi, Research Analyst

“For Trump’s plan to work, Hamas cannot be the only Palestinian faction required to disarm. Hamas has long operated in tandem with smaller but closely aligned terrorist groups in Gaza that effectively function as its auxiliaries. These organizations, collectively known as the Joint Operations Room, include about eight armed groups. Unless these groups are dismantled alongside Hamas, the disarmament process risks becoming little more than a shell game, with terrorism simply shifting from one banner to another.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal