Trump says Hamas must accept Gaza peace deal by Sunday, or war escalates

• More than 750,000 Palestinians have already fled Gaza City during the latest Israeli offensive. Some lack shelter and face severe shortages of food and water.
• More than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed, most of them civilians, since the war began with the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. Nearly the entire population has been displaced at least once.
• Hamas has yet to officially respond to the peace plan announced on Monday. Trump's deadline is 1am Monday in Gaza and Israel.

What he's saying: "Fortunately for Hamas, however, they will be given one last chance!"

• Trump added: "THERE WILL BE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST ONE WAY OR THE OTHER."

Driving the news: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted Trump's plan on Monday.

• On Tuesday, Trump said he'd give Hamas three to four days to respond.
• Qatar, Egypt and Turkey have been urging Hamas to give a positive response to Trump's proposal even if they don't agree to all of it.

Behind the scenes: On Wednesday, Trump spoke to the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani about the talks between Qatar and Hamas over his proposal.

• He told Trump that Hamas might need more time for its internal discussions about the proposal and asked for a week, according to a source with knowledge.
• The source said other Qatari officials spoke to Trump's team on Thursday and Friday and asked for more time because Hamas leaders in Doha are having difficulties communicating with military leaders in Gaza.
• An Israeli official claimed that was just an excuse and that "Hamas leaders inside Gaza are more open to accept the Trump deal than the Hamas leaders in Doha."

The other side: Several Arab media outlets have reported since Monday that Hamas has a list of reservations and requests for clarifications about the Trump plan.

• According to these reports, Hamas wants a clear guarantee that Israel won't be able to resume its attacks in Gaza as it has done in Lebanon, despite agreeing to a ceasefire.
• Hamas also wants a clear timetable on the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
• While Hamas agrees to dismantle its offensive weapons like missiles and tunnels, it demands the ability to maintain its "defensive" weapons.

• Hamas also has reservations about the international "peace board" to oversee governance of Gaza under the plan, which Trump said he would chair.

State of play: Hamas official Mohammed Nazzal told Al Jazeera on Thursday that the group is discussing Trump's plan "seriously" but doesn't see it "in terms of black and white, but of gray," suggesting Hamas' answer could be more nuanced than just a yes or a no.

• "We reject being treated according to President Trump's rule: 'take it or leave it.' We are not coming from a position of absolute rejection, but it is also our right to be part of the negotiations," he said.
• Netanyahu managed to negotiate significant edits to Trump's plan before agreeing to it.
• The Israeli assessment is that Hamas will give its response on Friday or Saturday and likely "give a positive response but add a list of reservations and requests for clarification," the official said

What to watch: Trump said more than 25,000 Hamas "soldiers" have already been killed since the Oct. 7 attacks.

• "Most of the rest are surrounded and MILITARILY TRAPPED, just waiting for me to give the word, 'GO,' for their lives to be quickly extinguished. As for the rest, we know where and who you are, and you will be hunted down, and killed," he wrote.
• Trump called on "all innocent Palestinians immediately leave" the Gaza City area, where their lives are at risk.
• "Everyone will be well cared for by those that are waiting to help," he said.

Go deeper: How an Israeli attack inadvertently launched Trump's Gaza peace plan