U.S. President Donald Trump says Israel has agreed to the “necessary conditions” for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza.
Trump posted on Truth Social that during the ceasefire, the U.S. would work with other countries to help end the war. He didn’t share specific details about what the ceasefire would include.
Trump said that Qatar and Egypt, two countries helping with peace talks, will present the final proposal to Hamas. “I hope Hamas takes this deal, because it will not get better — it will only get worse,” he wrote.
Israel has not confirmed that it accepted the deal. A Hamas official said the group is ready to agree to a ceasefire if it leads to a full end to the war. “We are serious about reaching an agreement,” said Hamas spokesperson Taher al-Nunu.
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar posted online that most of the Israeli government supports a plan to release hostages and that the chance “must not be missed.”
Trump’s comments come ahead of his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next week. Trump said he will be “very firm” in the meeting and believes Netanyahu wants to end the war. “I think we’ll have a deal next week,” he added.
Also this week, Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer was set to meet U.S. officials in Washington, including the Secretary of State and Vice President. Meanwhile, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations said the country is “absolutely” ready for a ceasefire, but claimed Hamas is making things difficult. “We’re putting pressure on them,” he said. “If they don’t agree, we’ll have to use more military force.”
He added that the war will end once all the hostages are returned. There are still about 50 Israeli hostages in Gaza, with around 20 believed to be alive.
Talks of a new ceasefire deal have grown in recent days, but no final agreement has been reached. Israel has said it won’t stop the war until Hamas is fully defeated. Hamas, on the other hand, wants a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent truce.
Trump’s post came shortly after Israel told people in northern Gaza to evacuate ahead of more military action. On Monday, at least 20 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a beachside café in Gaza City, according to medics.
The war began after Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people. Since then, over 56,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to local health officials.
Israel’s army is also looking into reports that civilians were hurt near food aid centers. Gaza’s health ministry says over 400 people have died trying to get aid from U.S.- and Israeli-backed sites. Some groups accuse Israeli forces of shooting at people during aid distribution, but Israel denies this and says the aid group is needed to stop Hamas from taking supplies.
A past ceasefire earlier this year fell apart after Israel resumed airstrikes, saying Hamas was preparing new attacks. That deal was meant to happen in three phases, but only the first part took place before fighting started again. Phase two would have included a permanent ceasefire, more hostage releases, and a full Israeli military withdrawal.
