JERUSALEM, Sept 30 (Agencies): US President Donald Trump on Tuesday gave Hamas an ultimatum of "three or four days" to respond to his plan to end the war in Gaza, as the militant group reviewed the proposal backed by Israel.
The plan calls for a ceasefire, the release of hostages by Hamas within 72 hours, a disarmament of Hamas and the gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, followed by a post-war transitional authority headed by Trump himself.
Hamas's negotiating team is studying US President Trump's 20-point plan to end Israel's war on Gaza, Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesman has confirmed
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he agreed to the plan in a news briefing with Trump at the White House, as Israeli forces continued to escalate attacks on the Gaza Strip, killing at least 45 people since dawn.
However, the plan also includes a "credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood" if certain conditions are met, but Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu insists Israel will "forcibly resist" the idea.
World powers, including Arab and Muslim nations, welcomed the proposal, but Hamas had yet to issue its response.
The Palestinian political movement that dominates the Palestinian Authority has welcomed efforts led by Trump to end the war in Gaza and protect innocent lives, according to a statement carried by the official Wafa news agency.
"We're going to do about three or four days," Trump told reporters when asked about any timeframe.
He later warned the militants would face severe consequences if they refused.
"We have one signature that we need, and that signature will pay in hell if they don't sign," Trump told US generals and admirals gathered at a military base in Quantico, Virginia.
Trump announced his proposal at the White House on Monday after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
On Tuesday, 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 it would hold a meeting with Hamas officials and Turkey later Tuesday.
"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 agree to "peaceful co-existence" would be given amnesty.
It would also see a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza after nearly two years of war sparked by Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for "all parties" to commit to "an agreement and its implementation".
He also reiterated his call for an "immediate and permanent ceasefire", a spokesman said.
But in a video statement posted after the joint press conference with Trump, Netanyahu said that the military would stay in most of Gaza, and that he did not agree to a Palestinian state during his talks in Washington.
"We will recover all our hostages, alive and well, while the (Israeli military) will remain in most of the Gaza Strip," he said.
Still, Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a member of Netanyahu's coalition government, blasted the plan as a "resounding diplomatic failure".
"In my estimation, it will also end in tears. Our children will be forced to fight in Gaza again," he said.
Trump's plan includes deployment of a "temporary international stabilisation force" and the creation of a transitional authority headed by Trump himself and including former British premier Tony Blair.
During his press conference with Trump, Netanyahu cast doubt on whether the Palestinian Authority, which nominally runs Palestinian population centres in the occupied West Bank, would be allowed a role in Gaza's governance.
Trump noted that during their meeting Netanyahu strongly opposed any Palestinian statehood -- something that the US plan leaves room for.
"I support your plan to end the war in Gaza which achieves our war aims," Netanyahu said.
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