US President Donald Trump on Sunday delivered what he described as a “last warning” to Hamas, insisting the Palestinian militant group must agree to a deal to release hostages still held in Gaza.
“The Israelis have accepted my terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well. I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning,” Trump said in a statement shared on social media, without providing further details.
Hamas responded shortly after, saying it was ready to “immediately sit at the negotiating table” following what it described as “some ideas from the American side aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement.”
According to US outlet Axios, White House envoy Steve Witkoff had dispatched a new proposal for a hostage release and ceasefire agreement to Hamas last week. The White House has not revealed specifics, but Trump told reporters, “We had some very good discussions. Good things could happen. I think we’re going to have a deal on Gaza very soon.”
This is not the first ultimatum Trump has delivered. In March, he demanded that Hamas release all remaining hostages and return the bodies of those killed, warning, “if not, it is OVER for you.”
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, an Israeli campaign group, welcomed the latest US intervention, calling it a “true breakthrough.” Hamas militants abducted 251 people during the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Israeli officials believe 47 hostages remain in Gaza, with 25 confirmed dead.
Meanwhile, the conflict on the ground has intensified. On Sunday, Israeli airstrikes levelled a residential tower in Gaza City, the third such strike in as many days, killing at least 48 people, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the military was “deepening” its assault on the city, alleging Hamas was using civilian infrastructure as observation points.
The escalation comes as Israel presses residents to evacuate Gaza City, with Netanyahu accusing Hamas of blocking civilians from leaving. Humanitarian agencies warn that worsening conditions could push the enclave into an even deeper crisis.
The October 7 attack claimed 1,219 lives in Israel, most of them civilians, while Israel’s retaliatory campaign has left more than 64,000 Palestinians dead, according to figures from Gaza’s health ministry that the United Nations has deemed credible, though independently unverifiable.
