Donald Trump has announced that Israel has agreed to the conditions of a 60-day ceasefire, and he expressed optimism that Hamas would also agree to the proposal. Posting on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Tuesday night, the U.S. president shared that his team had a "long and productive meeting with the Israelis today" about the conflict in Gaza.
He said that Israel had "agreed to the necessary conditions" to move forward with a ceasefire. "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 President wrote in his Tuesday night post.
Temporary Peace in Middle East
"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," Trump concluded.
Talks surrounding the newly proposed ceasefire have been ongoing for several months. Back in May, Hamas responded to the U.S.-supported and Israeli-approved plan with a counter-offer that was deemed "completely unacceptable."
In its response, Hamas insisted that Israel agree to a permanent end to hostilities and a full military withdrawal from Gaza in exchange for the release of the remaining 10 living hostages along with the bodies of 18 dead captives.
Trump's Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, immediately rejected those demands.
Trump also said on Tuesday that he plans to address the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Iran during his upcoming meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House next week. He added that he remains hopeful about securing the long-awaited ceasefire in Gaza in the near future.
Trump Brokering Peace
Trump plans to meet Netanyahu on Monday and told reporters during a trip to Florida that he plans to be "very firm" about the urgent need for a Gaza ceasefire while also pointing out that Netanyahu shares that goal.
Last week, Israel announced a fresh round of evacuation orders in northern Gaza, signaling preparations for a renewed military operation against Hamas in the war-torn region.
The details of the latest ceasefire proposal have not yet been made public.
Israel has been at war with Hamas since the terror group launched an attack on the Jewish nation on October 7, 2023.
Efforts to reach a new truce have been ongoing since the most recent ceasefire, which lasted from January 19 to March 18 of this year.
That previous agreement involved a two-phase ceasefire, during which both sides agreed to halt fighting and carry out a hostage exchange, bringing a temporary pause to the 15-month-long conflict.
