Israel agreed to terms of a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, Trump says

National Post

a day ago

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday night that Israel agreed to the 'necessary conditions' that would lead to a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, during which time Washington 'will work with all parties to end the war.'
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'My representatives had a long and productive meeting with the Israelis today on Gaza,' the president stated on Tuesday.
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'The Qataris and Egyptians, who have worked very hard to help bring peace, will deliver this final proposal,' Trump stated. '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.'
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Marshall Wittmann, the AIPAC spokesman, told JNS that 'we appreciate the efforts of President Trump and Steve Witkoff to work with our ally Israel to reach a hostage deal in Gaza.'
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'Now, it is incumbent on Hamas, which has been the ongoing obstacle to peace, to accept the agreement,' Wittmann told JNS.
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AIPAC stated that those calling for 'ceasefire now' were silent, 'as Hamas is once again the obstacle to a deal.' AIPAC called that silence 'revealing.'
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According to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, there was a 'large majority in the government and among the people' for the proposed hostage deal. 'If there is an opportunity to do so—it must not be missed!' the diplomat posted to X on Wednesday morning.
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However, Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli, in a response to Sa'ar said that the terms of the proposed deal were 'not presented to the government at all.'
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Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a senior member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government,' also responded: 'Ending the war in Gaza—not a moment before defeating Hamas.'
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Netanyahu stated on June 21 that 'there are those around the world, and in Israel, who say 'Enough. Come on, end the war,'' per an English translation of the premier's remarks, which his office released.
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'I have news for you. I am ready to end the war, according to clear conditions that will ensure the security of Israel,' Netanyahu said. 'All of the hostages will return home. Hamas will lay down its weapons, leave power, its leadership—whoever is left—will be exiled from the Strip. Gaza will be completely demilitarized, and we will carry out the Trump plan, which is so correct and so revolutionary, and it says something simple. The residents of Gaza who wish to leave will be able to leave.'
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Anyone who calls for Israel to stop fighting prior to achieving those aims 'is, in effect, calling for Hamas to stay in power,' Netanyahu said at the time.
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'What does this mean? This means that all of our achievements and all of the sacrifice of our heroic soldiers will have been for naught,' he said.
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'Hamas will rebuild, resume its missile production, dig more terrorist tunnels and reposition itself with armed terrorists a short distance from the communities of the Negev,' he added. 'We will receive more abductions, more murders, more rapes and more burning of infants.'
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