Hamas to decide on Gaza ceasefire deal within 24 hours, Trump says
Trump described the deal as the 'final proposal' for an Israel-Hamas ceasefire in the embattled Gaza Strip and said: 'We'll see what happens, we are going to know over the next 24 hours,' when asked whether Hamas would agree. A source close to Hamas said on Thursday that the Islamist group was seeking guarantees from Washington that the new ceasefire would lead to the end of Israel's attacks on Palestinian territory. Details of the deal are not clear, but it is understood that it would include the release of some of the living Israeli hostages and the bodies of those deceased in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
Israel's Defence Forces would also begin a phased withdrawal from parts of Gaza as mediators enter negotiations to strike a permanent ceasefire, according to sources with knowledge of the deal who spoke to the Guardian . 'We sure hope it's a done deal, but I think it's all going to be what Hamas is willing to accept,' US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Israeli media yesterday. A previous two-month ceasefire ended when Israel broke the accord on March 18 and unleashed strikes that killed more than 400 Palestinians.
Israel subsequently implemented a two-month-long blockade that prevented all aid from entering Gaza and has since expanded its military operations in the Strip, further exacerbating the already dire humanitarian conditions there. More than 6,000 Palestinians have been killed since the previous ceasefire ended in May, and dozens were killed yesterday alone in Israeli strikes, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Almost all of the two million-strong population of Gaza are now displaced from their homes, with more than 56,000 people recorded killed since Israel launched its military operation following Hamas' October 7, 2023 attacks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday vowed to bring home all the hostages still held by militants in war-stricken Gaza, even as he faces mounting accusations that he is deliberately prolonging the conflict. Israel's leaders have held firm to their aim of crushing Hamas, even as the group said Tuesday it was discussing new proposals for a ceasefire from mediators. But public support in Israel for an end to the war is high, particularly after Israel's successful attacks on Iran.
'I feel a deep commitment, first and foremost, to ensure the return of all our abductees, all of them,' Netanyahu told inhabitants of the Nir Oz kibbutz, the community that saw the most hostages seized in the 2023 Hamas attacks that sparked the war. 'We will bring them all back,' he added, in filmed comments released by his office. Netanyahu is also due to meet Trump in Washington DC next week, with the pair having struck a close alliance following the latter's return to the White House in January.
To Netanyahu's delight, Trump earlier this year proposed a US takeover of Gaza, which was condemned globally by rights experts, the UN and Palestinians as a proposal of 'ethnic cleansing'. 'I want the people of Gaza to be safe more importantly,' Trump told reporters Thursday when asked if he still wanted the US to take over the Palestinian territory, as he announced in February. 'They've gone through hell.'
Posting earlier this week on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: 'Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalise 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!'
The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered in October 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, Israeli tallies show. Gaza's health ministry says Israel's subsequent military assault has killed over 56,000 Palestinians. It has also caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced Gaza's entire population and prompted accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice and of war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Israel denies the accusations.
In addition to ceasefire negotiations, Trump also said he had spoken to Saudi Arabia about expanding the Abraham Accords, the deal on normalisation of ties that his administration negotiated between Israel and some Gulf countries during his first term. Trump made the comments on the Abraham Accords when asked about US media reporting late on Thursday that he had met Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman at the White House. 'It's one of the things we talked about,' Trump said. 'I think a lot of people are going to be joining the Abraham Accords,' he added, citing the predicted expansion to the damage faced by Iran from recent US and Israeli strikes. Axios reported that after the meeting with Trump, the Saudi official spoke on the phone with Abdolrahim Mousavi, chief of Iran's General Staff of the Armed Forces. Trump's meeting with the Saudi official came ahead of a visit to Washington next week by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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