The Latest: Hamas says it will study Trump's peace plan before responding

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Hamas said Tuesday it will discuss U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza within the militant group and with other Palestinian factions before responding. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already thrown his support behind it, but it’s unclear whether Hamas will agree, or when it will give a response.

The proposal demands that Hamas effectively surrender and disarm in return for an end to fighting, humanitarian aid for Palestinians and the promise of reconstruction in Gaza — all desperately hoped for by the population of the devastated territory where the death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has topped 66,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Israeli forces killed at least 31 Palestinians in Gaza on Tuesday, local hospitals said.

Meanwhile, as backing and support pour in for the proposal from the international community, Trump told reporters Tuesday that Hamas has “three or four days” to respond.

Here's the latest:

The Global Sumud Flotilla said Italy’s offer to let participants board a naval vessel amounted to “sabotage.”

“(The Italian government) is choosing to escort us only to the point of danger and then try to peel us away, delivering us back to shore empty-handed, as Israel continues to slaughter and starve the Palestinian people with complete impunity,” the flotilla said in a statement. “We say again: the flotilla sails onward.”

Around 45 boats with participants from across the globe are attempting to breach Israel’s naval blockade and bring humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

The flotilla is approaching the 150-nautical-mile (172-mile) limit off Gaza’s Mediterranean coast. Flotilla participants told The Associated Press they expect Israeli authorities to intervene as they approach a “critical zone” late Tuesday.

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni urged the flotilla to stop now, saying their intent to breach the Israeli naval blockade in the coming hours risks becoming a pretext to destroy the Trump peace plan.

Undersecretary-General Tom Fletcher said the U.N. is “ready and eager” to work in practical and principled ways “to seize this moment for peace.”

“Our teams, networks, supplies and expertise are in place and ready to be mobilized quickly and efficiently as we did during the previous ceasefire,” he said in a statement.

To expedite aid deliveries, Fletcher said, restrictions must be eliminated on the entry of critical items to Gaza, and international aid organizations must be allowed to operate. It’s also critical that the private sector be allowed to operate “at a meaningful scale,” he said.

U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said the U.N. needs to see if the agreement is accepted by Hamas, “but we are beginning our planning efforts, and we will be reaching out both to the parties on the ground and to the U.S. and others.”

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed, “It’s now crucial that all parties commit to an agreement and its implementation,” his deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Tuesday.

Guterres said the priority must be to ease “the tremendous suffering” caused by the nearly two-year conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, the spokesman said.

The U.N. chief appreciates “the important role of Arab and Muslim states” in working toward peace in the region, and hopes the plan “will create the conditions allowing for the realization of the two-state solution” where the state of Palestine will live side-by-side in peace with Israel, Haq said.

Guterres reiterated his call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and release of all hostages taken during the 2023 Hamas-led attack in southern Israel that sparked the war.

“The United Nations remains steadfast in his commitment to supporting all efforts to promote peace, stability and a more hopeful future for the people of Palestine and Israel and across the region,” Haq said.

The Italian defense ministry said it expected the flotilla of boats bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza to reach the 150 nautical mile limit off Gaza at around 2 a.m. in Italy (0000GMT) Wednesday, and sent a new warning Tuesday to the boats participating about the risks.

Italy has warned flotilla organizers that Israel would consider their incursion beyond that limit as a “hostile act.” The government has been working for weeks to find an alternate solution to get the aid to Palestinians, including a proposal rejected by flotilla organizers to bring the aid instead to Cyprus and have the Catholic Church deliver it.

The defense ministry repeated that the Italian navy frigate Apino, dispatched to the region as a precaution in case rescue operations were necessary, was available to take any flotilla participants on board who wanted to transfer. But in a statement, the ministry said the Alpino would not cross the 150-nautical-mile limit off Gaza’s coast.

“A final warning will be issued tomorrow, October 1, upon reaching 150 nautical miles from the coast of Gaza, where the military vessel will stop and remain available for any assistance and rescue operations,” according to a statement from the ministry’s defense staff unit.

Sadeq Abu Amer, head of the Turkey-based think tank Palestinian Dialogue Group, said the Trump proposal places Hamas in front of a difficult choice.

The proposal, on its face, meets Hamas’ main demands, but on the other hand, it stipulates “that Hamas will not be present the day after (the war) at all," in addition to the “international guardianship over the Gaza Strip, its separation from its territory and its separation from the West Bank and the freezing of the path of a two-state solution,” Abu Amer said,

However, given the balance of power in the field and pressure from its regional allies, Abu Amer said it is likely Hamas will “take the poison and accept this initiative.”

The allied — but much smaller — militant group, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, has publicly stated its rejection of the proposal, an apparent complication since it is believed to also hold some of the Israeli hostages.

However, Abu Amer believes Hamas can impose its decision on the more “marginal” factions and that if the Islamic Jihad does have hostages, Hamas “will be able to recover them” if it decides to accept the deal.

The sanctions come amid concerns the Islamic Republic is developing weapons, the British Foreign Office said Tuesday.

The penalties aimed at 62 groups and nine people follow a decision by Britain, France and Germany last month to trigger the “ snapback mechanism ” to automatically reimpose all United Nations sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.

The three nations, known as the E3, said at the time that Iran had willfully departed from the 2015 nuclear deal that lifted the measures.

“Iran’s nuclear program has long been a serious concern to the international community, as a significant threat to global peace and security,” Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said. “This sanctions package sends a clear message to Tehran — we will continue to take every step necessary to prevent Iran ever developing a nuclear weapon.”

The U.N. sanctions in effect before the deal included a conventional arms embargo, restrictions on ballistic missile development, asset freezes, travel bans and a ban on producing nuclear-related technology.

Tehran now enriches uranium at near weapons-grade levels.

“Hamas is either going to be doing it or not,” U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House. “And if it’s not, it’s going to be a very sad end.”

The president added there was “not much” room for Hamas to negotiate under the terms of his latest peace proposal, which he unveiled Monday.

Qatari and Egyptian officials have presented the proposal to Hamas negotiators, who are now reviewing it.

Trump on Monday said Israel would have his administration’s “full backing” to destroy Hamas if the group does not agree to the deal. Asked on Tuesday what American support would amount to, the president declined to provide details but expressed confidence that Israel would be able to take decisive action.

“I would let them go do what they have to do,” Trump added. “They could do it pretty easily.”

Israeli forces killed at least 31 Palestinians on Tuesday, according to local hospitals.

Al-Awda Hospital said Israeli troops opened fire, killing 17 Palestinians and wounding 33 others while they were attempting to access humanitarian aid in Netzarim, the Israeli-controlled corridor that bisects northern and southern Gaza.

An Israeli strike later in the day killed four people in central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp, the hospital said.

Israeli forces also hit two tents housing displaced Palestinian families in Muwasi, the stretch of tent cities along the Mediterranean coast that the Israeli military had once declared a safe zone, killing 10 people.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the shooting or strikes, saying its troops had killed several armed militants and struck more than 160 targets of Hamas infrastructure in the past 24 hours.

Gideon Saar said that his country has accepted Trump’s "plan for ending the war in Gaza and for a better future" and that it is now up to Hamas to announce its position.

“We will now see if Hamas accepts the president’s plan,” Saar said during a visit to Belgrade, Serbia’s capital.

He accused Hamas of trying in the past to change the terms or avoid implementing any past agreements. “We will see," he said.

“We want to see our hostages come home after two years … Alive and dead,” Saar said. “We also want to see a different Gaza: deradicalized, demilitarized and no longer posing a threat to Israel and its citizens.”

Serbia’s Foreign Minister Marko Djuric said Belgrade also backs the peace proposal and demands the release of the hostages held in Gaza, one of whom holds dual Israeli-Serbian citizenship.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a call with reporters that Russia welcomes Trump's efforts aimed at "ending the ongoing tragedy” and that Moscow officials "certainly wish that this plan is implemented and helps achieve peace in the Middle East.”

Peskov noted that Russia has maintained contacts with all parties to the conflict and stands ready to take efforts to help the settlement if asked to do so.

The United Nations says it's prepared to increase aid deliveries into Gaza whenever possible. Deliveries by U.N. agencies and its partners have been largely limited in recent months as Israel has allowed a separate organization — the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — to ferry in aid.

Trump's plan says that aid entries will proceed “without interference” by Israel or Hamas “through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent” in addition to other international institutions “not associated in any manner with either party.”

Alessandra Vellucci, a U.N. Geneva spokesperson, said the world body is in contact “with the various parties about the peace efforts ... we welcome all the mediation.”

Jens Laerke, a spokesman for U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said the U.N. stands "ready and prepared and capable to increase aid deliveries inside Gaza, whenever the opportunity is such that we are allowed to do so and the ... safety and security of doing so is there indeed.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing calls “on all relevant parties” to “immediately achieve a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza, release all detainees and alleviate the humanitarian disaster in the region as soon as possible.”

China supports a two-state solution and is willing to work with the international community for a “comprehensive, just, and lasting resolution of the Palestinian issue,” Guo added.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz thanked Trump for his “persistent efforts” and Arab and Muslim countries in the Middle East for their “influence” with Hamas. He said Germany remained in close contact with its European neighbors and the United States on the issue.

Merz's came shortly after Merz on Tuesday hosted relatives of German hostages of Hamas. During the meeting, he said the suffering of the hostages “must end now,” and called on Hamas to release all hostages, according to the statement.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez welcomed the U.S. peace proposal and said a two-state solution was “the only possible one” for the Middle East.

“It is time for the violence to cease, for the immediate release of all the hostages to take place, and for humanitarian aid to be provided to the civilian population,” Sánchez wrote on X.

Spain has been an outspoken critic of Israel’s war in Gaza, with Sánchez earlier this month calling Israel’s conduct a genocide.

Turkey’s defense ministry says it's closely monitoring the eastern Mediterranean and that its ships in the region are prepared to assist “humanitarian missions if needed” — a reference to the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla seeking to break the Israeli blockade of the territory.

A day earlier, the Turkish navy helped evacuate activists on board Johnny M, one of the flotilla vessels — after it began taking in water in an area off the coast of Crete, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Meanwhile, at least three activists working with the flotilla from Egypt were arrested in Cairo, the flotilla committee said. It's unclear where they are being detained.

Some of the activists in Egypt plan to join the group of more than 50 small vessels carrying activists from dozens of countries attempting to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza.

The flotilla includes 52 mostly small vessels carrying activists from dozens of countries and a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid, mainly food and medicine, for Palestinians in Gaza.

French President Emmanuel Macron says he welcomes Trump’s “commitment to ending the war in Gaza and securing the release of all hostages.”

“I expect Israel to engage resolutely on this basis. Hamas has no choice but to immediately release all hostages and follow this plan,” Macron posted on X.

A senior Hamas official told The Associated Press that the group's leaders will hold internal discussions as well as talks with other Palestinian factions before they respond to the Trump proposal.

The official added that Hamas received the proposal from the two Mideast mediators — Egypt and Qatar — and “will begin studying it today” with other factions.

There was no indication when Hamas could give its response to the plan. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

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By Bassem Mroue in Beirut

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday welcomed Trump’s announcement of a plan to end the Gaza conflict.

“It provides a viable pathway to long term and sustainable peace, security and development for the Palestinian and Israeli people, as also for the larger West Asian region,” Modi said on X.

The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt on Tuesday welcomed the plan and expressed confidence in Trump's ability to help chart a path to peace.

In a joint statement, the ministers said they supported Trump’s plan to halt the fighting, rebuild Gaza, prevent the displacement of Palestinians, and block any annexation of the West Bank by Israel.

They also emphasized the importance of their partnership with Washington in securing peace in the region and affirmed their readiness to work constructively with the United States and other parties toward peace and stability.

The Palestinian Authority pledged to implement reforms in order to return to Gaza and potentially clear the way for the establishment of 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.

“We have affirmed our desire for a modern, democratic, and nonmilitarized Palestinian state, committed to pluralism and the peaceful transfer of power,” the statement said and promised reforms, including new elections and ending a system that pays the families of militants involved in attacks on Israelis.

Trump's 20-point plan for ending the war and establishing a postwar Gaza governance does not require people to leave Gaza and calls for the war to end immediately if both sides accept it.

It also calls for all remaining hostages to be released by Hamas within 72 hours of Israel accepting the plan.

The plan would effectively put the territory and its more than 2 million people under international control, deploying an international security force and installing a “Board of Peace” headed by Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to oversee the administration and reconstruction.

The territory would remain surrounded by Israeli troops. Hamas would have no part in administering Gaza, and all its military infrastructure — including tunnels — would be dismantled.

The international security force would keep order and train Palestinian police to take over law enforcement. Egypt has said it is training thousands of Palestinian police to deploy to Gaza.