Trump pushes Hamas to seal peace deal as deadline passes

The 6 pm ET deadline marked a pivotal moment in Trump’s effort to broker what he called “long sought PEACE in the Middle East.” Posting on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “There have been very positive discussions with Hamas, and Countries from all over the World (Arab, Muslim, and everyone else) this weekend, to release the Hostages, end the War in Gaza but, more importantly, finally have long sought PEACE in the Middle East.”

“These talks have been very successful, and proceeding rapidly,” Trump added. “The technical teams will again meet Monday, in Egypt, to work through and clarify the final details.”

Speaking to reporters later Sunday evening, Trump confirmed the negotiations were progressing. “We had some very good meetings…and it looks like it's working,” he said. “So we'll wait for a little while, see how it all turns out.” He expressed optimism that the first phase of the peace plan “should be completed this week.”

But Trump also issued a stark warning if talks falter: “I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST,” he wrote. “TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE OR, MASSIVE BLOODSHED WILL FOLLOW — SOMETHING THAT NOBODY WANTS TO SEE!”

Trump had previously set the deadline in an Oct. 3 Truth Social post, warning Hamas, “If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas. THERE WILL BE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.”

Unveiled late last month, Trump’s 20-point peace plan calls for an end to Israel’s military operations in Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas, and reconstruction of the region under a Palestinian governing body supervised by a US-led international coalition. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly agreed to the framework.

Hamas, however, signaled resistance to key terms. Senior Hamas political bureau official Mahmoud al-Mardawi issued a statement Sunday night calling reports that the group agreed to future disarmament “fabricated” and “baseless,” accusing opponents of attempting to “distort the movement's stance and confuse public opinion.”

According to The Jerusalem Post, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told Asharq Al-Awsat that the question of disarmament is a “Palestinian issue that will be dealt with within the Palestinian framework,” underscoring a potential sticking point in the negotiations.

Earlier Sunday, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya reported that Hamas had begun collecting the remains of deceased Israeli hostages for a possible handover. A Hamas source said the return of remains could take time, but any release of living hostages would occur in a single phase. The group also reportedly requested that Israel halt airstrikes to allow the process to continue.

The same source described negotiations as “swift and intensive,” noting it was “in the movement’s interest” to accelerate talks. Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya was expected to arrive in Cairo Sunday night ahead of ceasefire negotiations with Israel, according to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

Egypt has imposed strict security protocols on the Hamas delegation’s movements in Cairo, including “jamming systems around the delegation's route and meeting places,” Egyptian intelligence sources told the outlet.

The Israeli government confirmed Sunday evening that Netanyahu has directed the country’s hostage negotiation team, led by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, to depart for Cairo. Talks between the parties are scheduled to begin on Monday.