Donald Trump has demanded that negotiators working to end the war in Gaza ‘move fast,’ warning that any delay could lead to ‘massive bloodshed.’
The US president made an urgent appeal on Sunday night prior to crucial discussions happening today in Egypt, where mediators are striving to arrange a ceasefire and secure the release of Israeli hostages.
Trump reported that the talks among the US, Israel, Hamas, and regional authorities had been ‘very successful.’ He mentioned that technical teams would reconvene today to ‘resolve and clarify the remaining details.’
In a Truth Social post, he wrote: ‘I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST.
‘I will keep a close watch on this age-old conflict. TIME IS CRITICAL, OTHERWISE MASSIVE BLOODSHED MAY OCCUR — AN OUTCOME NO ONE DESIRES!’ he warned.
This caution arises as American, Qatari, Egyptian, and Turkish diplomats gear up for what might be the most pivotal discussions since the conflict erupted nearly two years ago.
Reports indicate that reparatory talks between the two sides started at 10am local time (8am BST).
The White House’s 20-point peace proposal calls for an immediate stop to Israeli air raids, a gradual withdrawal of troops, and the release of dozens of hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas has agreed to certain aspects of the plan, such as establishing a technocratic Palestinian administration to oversee Gaza but opposes demands to disarm or exclude itself from the territory’s future governance.
Last week, Trump issued a hard ultimatum saying Hamas must accept by Sunday evening or ‘all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas.’
Speaking to reporters earlier, the US leader insisted the plan already had broad backing. ‘We don’t need flexibility because everybody has pretty much agreed to it, but there will always be some changes,’ he said.
He added: ‘It’s a great deal for Israel, it’s a great deal for the entire Arab world, Muslim world, and world, so we’re very happy about it.’
A huge explosion seen in Gaza after an Israeli strike on a building on September 14. Israelii and Hamas delegations are to meet in Egypt today for negotiations to end the war
US president Donald Trump, after meeting senior military officials last month. He has ordered the mediators to ‘move fast’ to secure a deal, warning there could be ‘massive bloodshed’
Trump also said he believed hostages would start to be freed ‘very soon,’ following comments from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that air strikes must stop before any release can happen.
‘You can’t release hostages while there’s still bombardments going on,’ Rubio told CBS. ‘That has to stop, but you also have to work through the other logistics. We want to get the hostages out as soon as possible.’
Israeli strikes, however, continued over the weekend. A government spokesperson said that while ‘certain bombings have actually stopped inside of the Gaza Strip, there’s no ceasefire in place at this point in time.’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has authorised Israel’s delegation to attend the talks in Cairo and has reportedly made clear that negotiations should be wrapped up within a few days.
Hamas is sending a delegation led by senior negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, who survived an Israeli assassination attempt in Doha last month.
They are expected to join US envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Qatar’s foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the summit.
A senior Palestinian official told the BBC that mediators had worked behind the scenes to convince Hamas to soften its stance and avoid repeating previous rejections of ceasefire deals.
The official said the group was persuaded to ‘leave contentious points such as the fate of its weapons and Gaza’s governance for the negotiation table.’
Meanwhile, tensions between Trump and Netanyahu, however, appear to be growing after reports of a heated phone call between the two leaders over the proposed ceasefire.
Trump and Netanyahu at a press conference last month where they unveiled a 20-point peace plan. Tensions are said to be brewing between the two leaders after a heated phone call
According to US outlet Axios, Trump phoned Netanyahu on Friday to share what he believed was a breakthrough – Hamas’ signal that it was ready to negotiate a full release of Israeli hostages.
But the prime minister reportedly downplayed the development, telling him it ‘doesn’t mean anything.’
‘Bibi told Trump this is nothing to celebrate and it doesn’t mean anything,’ a US official told Axios.
Trump is said to have snapped back: ‘I don’t know why you’re always so f***ing negative. This is a win. Take it.’
Officials familiar with the exchange described the conversation as tense and said Trump was frustrated by Netanyahu’s lack of enthusiasm.
The Hamas-run health ministry said another 70 people were killed since Saturday after more Israeli bombardments.
Over the weekend, the ministry said that since October 2023, more than 67,000 Palestinians have died in Israeli operations.
Israel launched its campaign after Hamas-led militants stormed southern Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
As of October 2025, 48 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza after the Hamas assault. Only about 20 are believed to be alive, held as negotiations intensify for their release.
Residents in Gaza examine a collapsed high rise building after an Israeli strike. Hamas has accepted parts of the plan, but is resisting demands to disarm
Trump unveiled his 20-point Gaza peace proposal at the White House on September 29, 2025, alongside Benjamin Netanyahu, as part of a US-backed framework to end the war.
The plan demands an immediate ceasefire, full return of hostages – alive and dead – within 72 hours of agreement, phased Israeli troop withdrawal, and disarmament of Hamas.
It also envisages a transitional governance structure led by technocrats under international oversight.
