US President Donald Trump has announced that Israel has agreed to the “necessary conditions” for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, in what could mark a turning point in the ongoing conflict. However, Israeli officials have yet to confirm the claim.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump said, “The Qataris and Egyptians, who have worked very hard to help bring Peace, will deliver this final proposal. I hope… that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE.”
While Israel has not publicly confirmed its acceptance of the proposal, a senior Hamas official, Taher al-Nunu, told the BBC the group was “ready and serious” to reach an agreement if it results in an end to the war.
Al-Nunu said Hamas is “prepared to agree to any proposal if the requirements for ending the war are clearly met or if they lead to its complete end.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar added weight to the momentum, stating on X that there is “majority support” in the government for a framework that would secure the release of hostages still held in Gaza. Around 50 hostages remain in captivity, with at least 20 believed to be alive.
Despite public appetite in Israel for an end to the war, polling by the Israel Democracy Institute shows most citizens remain distrustful of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership. Netanyahu has long insisted on achieving “complete victory” over Hamas before considering any ceasefire, and it remains unclear if his stance has shifted.
Trump, who is set to meet Netanyahu next week in Washington, hinted at increased pressure on the Israeli leader, stating he would be “very firm” in their meeting. “He wants to [end the war]. I can tell you he wants to. I think we’ll have a deal next week,” Trump said.
A final agreement may hinge on key Hamas demands, including a partial withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza during the ceasefire and the resumption of full-scale international aid deliveries. The group may hesitate to release all hostages without guarantees the war will not resume.
Monday’s developments come amid renewed violence. At least 20 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a seafront café in Gaza City, according to local medics, as Israeli forces ordered fresh evacuations in northern Gaza.
Meanwhile, controversy continues to swirl around the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), with over 170 aid agencies including Oxfam and Save the Children calling for its shutdown.
They allege Israeli forces are firing on civilians approaching GHF aid sites, a charge Israel denies.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, over 56,600 people have been killed in the territory since the conflict began following Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, which left 1,200 Israelis dead and 250 taken hostage.
The most recent ceasefire, in January, collapsed early after Israel resumed strikes, citing intelligence about Hamas rearmament and planned attacks.
With diplomatic efforts now intensifying and the world watching closely, attention turns to whether both sides will embrace this latest opportunity for peace or whether history will repeat itself.
