Trump says Israel has agreed conditions for 60-day ceasefire in Gaza - and urges Hamas to accept
The US president announced the development ahead of hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks at the White House next week.
He has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to work out a ceasefire and hostage agreement to end the war.
1:58
"My representatives had a long and productive meeting with the Israelis today on Gaza," Mr Trump wrote on social media.
"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."
Analysis: Many unanswered questions remain
Mark Stone
US correspondent
@Stone_SkyNews
In the long Gaza war, this is a significant moment.
For the people of Gaza, for the Israeli hostages and their families - this could be the moment it ends. But we have been here before, so many times.
The key question - will Hamas accept what Israel has agreed to: a 60-day ceasefire?
At the weekend, a source at the heart of the negotiations told me: "Both Hamas and Israel are refusing to budge from their position - Hamas wants the ceasefire to last until a permanent agreement is reached. Israel is opposed to this. At this point only President Trump can break this deadlock."
The source added: "Unless Trump pushes, we are in a stalemate."
The problem is that the announcement made now by Donald Trump - which is his social-media-summarised version of whatever Israel has actually agreed to - may just amount to Israel's already-established position.
We don't know the details and conditions attached to Israel's proposals.
Would Israeli troops withdraw from Gaza? Totally? Or partially? How many Palestinian prisoners would they agree to release from Israel's jails? And why only 60 days? Why not a total ceasefire? What are they asking of Hamas in return? We just don't know the answers to any of these questions, except one.
We do know why Israel wants a 60-day ceasefire, not a permanent one. It's all about domestic politics.
If Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was to agree now to a permanent ceasefire, the extreme right-wingers in his coalition would collapse his government.
Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have both been clear about their desire for the war to continue. They hold the balance of power in Mr Netanyahu's coalition.
If Mr Netanyahu instead agrees to just 60 days - which domestically he can sell as just a pause - then that may placate the extreme right-wingers for a few weeks until the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, is adjourned for the summer.
It is also no coincidence that the US president has called for Mr Netanyahu's corruption trial to be scrapped.
Without the prospect of jail, Mr Netanyahu might be more willing to quit the war safe in the knowledge that focus will not shift immediately to his own political and legal vulnerability.
He added that Qatari and Egyptian officials would deliver the 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," Mr Trump wrote.
2:17
Mr Trump's comments will bring fresh hope of an end to the 20-month war, which has seen Israeli forces lay waste to most of Gaza in the aftermath of Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and roughly 250 were taken hostage.
The number of Palestinians killed in Gaza since then has reached 56,500, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count.
An eight-week ceasefire was reached in the final days of Joe Biden's US presidency, but Israel resumed the war in March after trying to get Hamas to accept new terms on next steps.
Talks of a fresh ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have stalled over whether or not the war should end as part of any deal.
3:55
Hamas official Mahmoud Merdawi has accused Mr Netanyahu of stalling progress on a deal, saying the Israeli leader insists on a temporary agreement that would free just 10 of the hostages.
Omer Dostri, a spokesperson for Mr Netanyahu, said that "Hamas was the only obstacle to ending the war", without addressing Mr Merdawi's claim.
Hamas says it is willing to free all the hostages in exchange for a full withdrawal of Israeli troops and an end to the war in Gaza.
Israel rejects that offer, saying it will agree to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile - something that the group refuses.
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