GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (BN24) — Hamas leaders said Wednesday they were reviewing a ceasefire plan that U.S. President Donald Trump described as a “final” proposal to halt fighting in Gaza, while insisting any agreement must include an Israeli withdrawal from the territory.
Trump announced Tuesday that Israel had accepted terms necessary to finalize a 60-day ceasefire following consultations between his envoys and Israeli officials. The declaration marked Washington’s latest push to end nearly two years of conflict that has devastated Gaza and fueled tensions across the region.
“I hope it would work this time, even if for two months—it would save thousands of innocent lives,” said Kamal, a Gaza City resident. But others remained skeptical that Trump’s statements would bring lasting calm. “We hope he is serious like he was serious during the Israeli-Iranian war when he said the war should stop, and it stopped,” said Adnan Al-Assar in Khan Younis.
The proposal has added to mounting domestic pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pursue a permanent ceasefire. Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition remains split, with hardliners fiercely opposing any deal short of Hamas’s total defeat.
Israel’s recent strikes on nuclear sites in Iran and last month’s brief Israel-Iran air war have further weakened Hamas’s key regional backer, underscoring the changing dynamics in the Middle East. Israeli officials believe that Iran’s setbacks could accelerate efforts by other Arab governments to normalize ties with Israel.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Wednesday that Israel remained committed to trying to secure a truce and a hostage agreement. “There are some positive signs. I don’t want to say more than that right now. But our goal is to begin proximity talks as soon as possible,” Saar said during a visit to Estonia.
Roughly 50 hostages remain in Hamas captivity, with Israeli officials estimating that about 20 are still alive. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said his party would back any agreement that freed the hostages, pledging parliamentary support to prevent Netanyahu’s government from collapsing if coalition partners rebelled.
In May, Hamas requested amendments to an earlier U.S.-backed ceasefire framework. Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, rejected those changes as “totally unacceptable.” The plan calls for a two-month halt to fighting, the release of half of the hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the remains of other Palestinians, and later the release of remaining hostages as part of an agreement to end the war.
“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 posted online Tuesday, without detailing those conditions.
A source familiar with Hamas deliberations said the group’s leaders would debate the plan and seek clarification from mediators before issuing a formal response.
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes and ground operations continued across Gaza. Health officials reported that Israeli attacks in the past 24 hours had killed at least 139 Palestinians in northern and southern areas. Late Tuesday, the military issued new evacuation orders.
Among the dead was Marwan Al-Sultan, director of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, killed in an airstrike along with his wife and five children, according to medics.
The Israeli military said it had targeted a “key terrorist” from Hamas operating in Gaza City. It acknowledged reports of civilian casualties and said it regretted any harm to “uninvolved individuals,” adding that it takes steps to minimize civilian deaths.
The war erupted when Hamas fighters crossed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people—mostly civilians—and seizing 251 hostages, according to Israeli counts. Gaza’s health ministry says more than 57,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in the Israeli military response, which has displaced nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million people and created a catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
Reuters
