Donald Trump states exactly when Hamas will 'pay in hell' for failure to accept his deal

President Trump has delivered a stark warning to Hamas as the terror group faces a tight deadline to accept his Middle East peace blueprint.

The US leader revealed he would grant Hamas just "three or four days" to sign the American-brokered agreement for Gaza, threatening the militants would "pay in hell" if they dare reject the sweeping 20-point proposal reports The Times.

Trump's "comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict" has secured backing from Israel and received a warm reception from the Palestinian Authority, which is set to eventually assume control of Gaza. Numerous Arab and Muslim leaders have also thrown their support behind the initiative, despite concerns over eleventh-hour amendments pushed through by Benyamin Netanyahu. The news comes as Trump's 'listen' plea to Benjamin Netanyahu spotted by lip reader.

The Israeli prime minister managed to secure crucial flexibility allowing Israeli forces to stay put "until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat" - wording that could potentially mean an indefinite military presence. The last-minute change prompted Qatar, serving as a vital negotiator and intermediary, to push for postponing the plan's publication on Monday, but the White House forged ahead regardless and leaned on regional powers to back it, according to Axios.

Clock ticking for Hamas response

When questioned on Tuesday about the timeframe for Hamas to deliver its answer, Trump declared: "We're going to do about three or four days; we'll see how it is. All of the Arab countries are signed up, the Muslim countries are all signed up, Israel is all signed up, we're just waiting for Hamas."

The president made clear there was "not much" scope to haggle over the terms. He later ramped up the pressure by warning Hamas would face brutal repercussions if it snubbed the plan, which demands the militant organisation surrender its weapons, free all captives and be stripped of any governing role in Gaza. "We have one signature that we need and that signature will pay in hell if they don't sign. I hope they sign for their own good and create something really great," Trump told assembled US military chiefs in Quantico, Virginia.

Nobel prize hopes dashed

The president also reflected on whether the breakthrough could land him a Nobel peace prize. "Will you get the Nobel prize? Absolutely not. They'll give it to a guy that didn't do a damn thing. Give it to a guy who wrote a book about the mind of Donald Trump," he said.

Ceasefire and withdrawal terms revealed

The plan sets out demands for a ceasefire, the release of hostages by Hamas within 72 hours and the phased Israeli pullback from Gaza, with a postwar transitional authority to be led by Trump and featuring Sir Tony Blair. Trump appeared to shut down any possibility of American troops joining the International Stabilization Force (ISF), the newly proposed group the plan said would be established to drill and back Palestinian police in maintaining order and blocking weapons from flooding into Gaza.

Trump jokes about peace role

He also made light of being tapped as chairman of the Board of Peace tasked with "the framework and the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza" until the Palestinian Authority has wrapped up its reform programme.

Trump quipped: "We're going to create something that was my idea. But unfortunately, I got drafted. It's going to be called the Board of Peace and it's going to reign over that territory. They asked if I'd be the chairman of the Board of Peace. I wasn't counting on that ... but I said yes."

Trump went on: "We're going to watch over that very volatile part of the world and keep it non-volatile so you don't have to get involved. We want to save you for other things."

Palestinian Authority seizes opportunity

The Palestinian Authority has vowed to push through reforms, sensing an opening to reclaim Gaza and possibly pave the way for creating a Palestinian state. "The State of Palestine welcomes the sincere and determined efforts of President Donald J Trump to end the war on Gaza and affirms its confidence in his ability to find a path toward peace," it said in a statement.

"We have affirmed our desire for a modern, democratic, and non-militarised Palestinian state, committed to pluralism and the peaceful transfer of power," it added, pledging reforms featuring elections and scrapping a system that hands payments to families of militants who carry out attacks on Israelis.

Qatar holds crunch talks

Qatari officials were scheduled to conduct talks with Hamas and Turkey on Tuesday night. "It is still too early to speak about responses but we are truly optimistic that this plan, as we said, is a comprehensive one," said Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari.

Hamas has kicked off consultations "within its political and military leaderships both inside Palestine and abroad", a source told AFP. "The discussions could take several days due to the complexities." Trump added: "Hamas is either going to be doing it or not, and if it's not, it's going to be a very sad end."