‘Hamas Must Move Quickly’: U.S. Demands Hamas Assent to Gaza Peace Deal Terms in Upcoming Negotiations

Latest Developments

Talks to Determine if Deal Moves Forward: Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on October 5 that Hamas needed to accept President Donald Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan for Gaza during the next day’s negotiations to determine if the deal moves forward. “We will know very quickly whether Hamas is serious or not by how these technical talks go in terms of the logistics,” Rubio said, adding that this “is the closest we’ve come to getting all of the hostages released, every single one, all 48, including the 28 who are deceased.” The Trump administration dispatched U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to Egypt for the negotiations, which will include a Hamas delegation led by senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya. When asked on October 4 what would happen to Hamas if they refused to cede power or move forward with the deal, Trump responded, “Complete Obliteration!”
Israel Reduces Offensive Operations in Gaza: Trump posted a map of Gaza on October 4, illustrating the initial withdrawal lines agreed to by Israel. Trump stated that the “ceasefire would be IMMEDIATELY effective” once “Hamas confirms.” On October 4, Israel ordered the IDF to halt its ongoing offensive to capture Gaza City, while still launching defensive strikes to protect troops deployed in the region. Trump responded to the IDF scale-back in Gaza, stating that he “appreciate[ed] that Israel has temporarily stopped the bombing in order to give the hostage release and peace deal a chance to be completed. Hamas must move quickly, or else all bets will be off. I will not tolerate delay … or any outcome where Gaza poses a threat again.”
Hamas Gives Unclear Response: Hamas provided its response to Trump’s 20-point proposal for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza on October 3, hours after the president warned that failure to agree would mean “all hell, like no one has ever seen before, will break out.” The terrorist organization’s statement, while agreeing to release the remaining hostages, was ambiguous on whether it would accept many of the conditions laid out in the U.S.-crafted plan, which included that the terrorist group would permanently disarm and surrender power in Gaza. Trump appeared confident of the plan’s success in a video statement published shortly after Hamas’s statement was released, in which he said he “looked forward to having the hostages come home to their parents,” asserting that “we’re very close” to “achieving” an end to the war in Gaza.

FDD Expert Response

“President Trump is heavily invested in the fate of the hostages held by Hamas. If Hamas fails to honor its commitments to release them, or to comply with any of the other provisions in the Trump Peace Plan, the IDF will resume its mission — with President Trump’s support — to ‘obliterate’ the terrorist group.” — Mark Dubowitz, CEO

“While ceasefire negotiations seem to be moving in the right direction, one critical question continues to hang over the process: Will Hamas agree to disarm? Without a definitive answer, the entire framework risks collapse. Disarmament is not merely a clause in a peace proposal; it is the linchpin determining whether the ceasefire will be a durable end to conflict or just another temporary pause before the next round of conflict.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal