U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday set a countdown for Hamas to accept Washington's 20point peace plan for Gaza, which was made public last Monday and already has Israel's approval. In a message on Truth Social, his social network, the Republican gave the Palestinian fundamentalist group an ultimatum that expires at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, Washington time, to respond. He threatened them with all hell if they do not accept the proposal.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio welcomed the release of Amir Amiry, saying it marked the administration's determination, reinforced by Donald Trump's recent executive order, to protect American nationals from wrongful detention abroad. While this marks an important step forward, additional Americans remain unjustly detained in Afghanistan. President Trump will not rest until all our captive citizens are back home.
Israeli-Russian academic and Princeton University student Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was held captive in Iraq for more than two years, was released earlier this week in an exchange deal with Israel, according to a report by Iran's Tasnim News Agency. Two prisoners, including a Lebanese national seized in 2024, were released by Israel in exchange for the freedom of Tsurkov, whom Tasnim described in its report on Thursday as an Israeli spy.