Trump says Israel has agreed to a 60-day Gaza ceasefire plan, with Qatar and Egypt leading efforts to deliver the proposal to Hamas.
Israel agreed to “the necessary conditions to finalise” a 60-day ceasefire, which mediators Qatar and Egypt will deliver to Hamas amid ongoing efforts to secure a deal, U.S. President Donald Trump said early on Wednesday.
“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump added that “the Qataris and Egyptians, who have worked very hard to help bring peace, will deliver this final proposal”, urging Hamas to accept the deal.
“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,” he said.
Earlier, Trump told reporters at the White House that he aimed to reach a ceasefire deal “sometime next week”, days after he made similar remarks over reaching an agreement during this week.
Hamas has not confirmed whether it has received the proposal, although it has repeatedly voiced its willingness to resume negotiations and reach a deal that would completely end Israel’s genocidal war in the Gaza Strip.
Trump’s latest statement also came after several meetings took place on Tuesday at the White House between U.S. Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Israel’s Minister for Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, who is also a top adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Axios reported that both diplomats discussed Qatar’s proposal over the release of captives and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. However, Qatar has not publicly commented on the matter.
A senior Israeli official, who remained anonymous, told Axios that Dermer said Israel accepted the proposal and it was ready to begin indirect talks with Hamas.
Mediators Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. have been pushing for the resumption of the negotiations, which have stalled after Israel broke the ceasefire deal on March 18, two months after it came into effect.
Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of not adhering to the deal by not releasing all captives, despite the Palestinian group committing to the release of 33 Israeli captives and five Thai nationals during the ceasefire’s first phase.
The mediators have been working to build on the momentum of the ceasefire between Israel and Iran reached on the morning of June 24, following nearly two weeks of conflict. Qatar had helped broker the deal, which came hours after Iran targeted the U.S. Al-Udeid Air Base.
On Friday, Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed Al-Ansari, told AFP there was a “window of opportunity” for a ceasefire and a captives release deal between Hamas and Israel.
“If we don’t utilise this window of opportunity and this momentum, it’s an opportunity lost amongst many in the near past. We don’t want to see that again,” Al-Ansari, who is also the adviser to Qatar’s prime minister, said.
Israel has intensified its brutality in the Gaza Strip since resuming the genocide, carrying out daily massacres while starving the territory’s 2.1 million population by blocking the entry of aid.
Gaza’s health ministry estimates that Israel has killed at least 61,700 Palestinians since October 7, 2023, but the actual figure remains an undercount, with thousands trapped under the rubble.
Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Trump in Washington on July 7, where the Gaza deal would top the agenda. Trump told reporters on Tuesday that he will be “very firm” with Netanyahu during their upcoming meeting.
