AGENCIES

US President Donald Trump yesterday gave Hamas an ultimatum of “three or four days” to respond to his plan for Gaza, as the militant group reviewed the proposal backed by Israel.

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.

World powers, including Arab and Muslim nations, welcomed the proposal, but Hamas had yet to issue its response.

“We’re going to do about three or four days,” Trump told reporters when asked about any timeframe.

“We’re just waiting for Hamas, and 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 announced the deal at the White House on Monday after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Yesterday, a Palestinian source said on condition of anonymity that Hamas had begun consultations on the plan “within its political and military leaderships, both inside Palestine and abroad”.

“The discussions could take several days due to the complexities,” the source said.

Qatar, which hosts Hamas’s exiled leadership, said the group had promised to study the proposal “responsibly”, and also said it would hold a meeting with Hamas and Turkey later yesterday.

“It is still too early to speak about responses, but we are truly optimistic that this plan, as we said, is a comprehensive one,” foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said.

The deal demands that Hamas militants fully disarm and be excluded from future roles in the government, but those who agreed to “peaceful co-existence” would be given amnesty.

It would also see a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, after nearly two years of war.

But in a video statement posted after the joint press conference with Trump, Netanyahu

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