US President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that Israel accepted the “necessary conditions” to reach a 60-day ceasefire agreement with Hamas, which would allegedly lead to the end of the war on Gaza.
Trump wrote:
“My Representatives had a long and productive meeting with the Israelis today on Gaza. Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War. The Qataris and Egyptians, who have worked very hard to help bring Peace, will deliver this final proposal. I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
According to media reports, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to travel to Washington next Monday, July 7, to discuss key regional issues with the US president, including the Gaza ceasefire proposal, the conflict with Iran, and developments related to Syria.
The Times of Israel quoted an unnamed US official saying that Trump hopes the planned consultations with Netanyahu would bring an end to the war on Gaza, and the release of the remaining Israeli captives held by Hamas.
Trump’s intentions to pressure Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza was questioned by a reporter on Tuesday, who asked him how firm he is going to be with the Israeli premier to achieve it. Trump answered, “Very firm, but he wants it too.”
Hamas studying the proposal with responsibility to “bridge the gaps between parties”
For its part, Hamas issued a statement on Wednesday, July 2, confirming that it is studying the US proposal after receiving it from Qatar and Egypt, which have been the main mediators of Gaza ceasefire negotiations for around two years.
The Palestinian resistance movement confirmed that intensified efforts have been made by the mediators to “bridge the gaps between parties and reach a framework agreement that would pave the way for serious negotiations.”
The movement also pointed out that it is dealing with the proposal with “high responsibility”, while engaging in “national consultations” to reach a ceasefire agreement. Hamas further maintained that the agreement should guarantee ending Israel’s aggression, the withdrawal of its forces, and the immediate delivery of aid in the besieged Gaza strip.
Israel is “serious” and “willing” to reach a deal, says Saar
Commenting on the proposal, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar affirmed Israel’s “seriousness” and “willingness” to reach a deal with Hamas during a press conference on Wednesday.
“We are serious in our will to reach a hostage deal and a ceasefire,” Saar stated, asserting that the Israeli government “said Yes” to the proposal brought forward by the US special envoy to “the Middle East”, Steve Witkoff.
“There are some positive signs. I don’t want to say more than that right now, but our goal is to begin as soon as possible,” the Israeli FM added.
Netanyahu vows to eliminate Hamas despite accepting the proposal
Shortly after Hamas issued its statement regarding the proposal, Netanyahu vowed in a speech to eliminate the movement.
“I am telling you, there will be no Hamas. There will be no ‘Hamastan’. We’re not going back to that. It is over,” Netanyahu insisted. “We’ll release our hostages, and we will defeat Hamas.”
Ruling out suggestions that securing the release of the captives, and defeating Hamas are incompatible goals, which would not be achieved together, the head of the Israeli government said:
“Well, really, how can you say that these are two opposing goals! What nonsense. It works together. We’ll complete it together. Contrary to what they say: ‘it won’t work’, you can’t uproot Hamas, we’ll eliminate them to the ground.”
Terms of the new proposal not officially disclosed yet
Although the terms of the new proposal have not been officially released by any of the concerned parties yet, The New York Times reported on Wednesday that it was informed of the terms by an Israeli defense official and a Palestinian close to Hamas.
The US newspaper said that the current proposal stipulates releasing 10 of the remaining living Israeli captives, and the bodies of 18 deceased held in Gaza in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners over a 60-day period.
These unconfirmed terms are consistent with what was outlined in Hamas’s latest proposal, which was rejected by Witkoff at the end of May. The US diplomat’s rejection provoked the rage of Palestinian people, who have held Witkoff responsible for all the massacres that have been committed by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza since.
