There’s a clock ticking in Washington, and Hamas knows it.

On Sunday, at 6 P.M. Eastern Time, President Trump’s deadline arrives.  Hamas can accept a deal that has the rarest of qualities in the Middle East — broad consensus.  The United States, the Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Egypt, and a growing list of Muslim nations have signaled their support.  The deal promises relief for civilians in Gaza; aid to flow in; and, most importantly, the release of hostages who have been in captivity for far too long.

I was speaking to a friend about this.  I told him I hoped Hamas would take the deal — for the sake of everyone involved, but certainly for the hostages; for innocent Gazans; and for the possibility, however slim, of sparing more lives.  But my fear is rooted in a pattern we’ve seen before: Hamas’s politics of “yes, but.”

“Yes, but we want more.”

“Yes, but the terms aren’t good enough.”

“Yes, but the deal isn’t on our terms.”

That refrain has derailed every serious attempt at resolution.  It’s not about governance, and it’s not about the welfare of Palestinians.  It’s about keeping the fight alive at any cost.

If Hamas rejects this deal again with unrealistic demands, the consequences will be devastating — first and foremost for Gazans, whose suffering grows daily.  And make no mistake: Hamas itself will not survive.  Israel has made it clear: Hamas will be destroyed, its leaders hunted, its terror infrastructure dismantled.  That will happen.  But the tragedy is that every delay, every “yes, but,” means more Jewish lives hanging in the balance, more hostages languishing in captivity, and more innocent Palestinians caught in the crossfire of Hamas’s obstinacy.

Israel cares about every Jewish soul, every hostage, even the bodies that must be brought home for burial.  That’s the moral core of our fight.  Hamas, by contrast, has shown again and again that it uses civilians as human shields, turning hospitals and schools into fortresses, sacrificing its own people to preserve power.

This moment is a tipping point.  It is not just another round of talks or another diplomatic dance.  The world is watching.  The Muslim world is on record.  The Palestinian Authority is on record.  The United States is on record.  Even Qatar, Hamas’s own backer, is on record.

The clock is ticking, Hamas.  For once in your history, make the right decision.  Take the deal.  Free the hostages.  Spare your own people from more ruin.

The deadline is today at 6 P.M., Washington time.  That’s not just a political marker.  It’s the difference between war and even the faintest hope of peace.

Tick-tock.

Image via Pexels.