Qatar To Hamas: Accept Trump’s Deal Now
Doha urges terror group to agree to U.S. ceasefire-for-hostages proposal as families cling to hope and Trump warns of looming Israeli escalation.
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Qatar’s Prime Minister, Mohammed Al-Thani, has delivered a blunt message to Hamas leaders in recent talks in Doha: say yes to President Donald Trump’s latest ceasefire proposal.
According to a source briefed on the meetings, Qatar “is pressing Hamas to respond positively to the American offer, which was conveyed through mediators and aims to secure both a ceasefire and the release of hostages.”
The new proposal, coordinated between Washington and Jerusalem, sparked fresh hope among hostage families. “I hope Prime Minister Netanyahu understands this is the right thing to do,” said the mother of hostage Eitan Horen.
Hamas Pushback
Hamas confirmed it received “several ideas” from the U.S. aimed at achieving a truce in Gaza but quickly tempered expectations, calling the plan “unrealistic.”
The deal reportedly includes releasing all 48 hostages on the first day of the ceasefire. Hamas officials told Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat this was “impossible,” claiming some captives, dead and alive, remain under rubble or in areas inaccessible without a halt in Israeli fire.
Instead, Hamas signaled willingness to free a smaller group of live hostages on day one, with a larger exchange later, pending agreement.
Washington and Israel Apply Pressure
The Trump administration has privately warned Hamas: agree to a full deal, or face a major Israeli operation in Gaza. “If Hamas refuses, it gives us legitimacy for a campaign,” said an Israeli source.
Jerusalem has been fully involved in shaping the U.S. offer. Israeli officials say the framework guarantees a ceasefire, hostage releases, and negotiations toward a phased withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza. Trump himself has given personal assurances.
However, the plan does not address Hamas demands over Rafah crossing or Israeli control of key supply routes like the Philadelphi Corridor.
Hamas told mediators it remains “open to any agreement that guarantees an end to the war, by every possible means.”
For hostage families, and for a war-weary region, the next move still lies in Hamas’s hands.