DONALD Trump said that Israel has agreed in principle to a 60-day ceasefire deal in Gaza and warned Hamas to accept the terms.
Trump said Israel had agreed “to the necessary conditions to finalize” a truce, which would clear the way to ending the war.
On Tuesday evening, the President shared on Truth Social: “Israel has consented to the necessary terms to conclude the 60-Day CEASEFIRE, during which we will collaborate with all parties to bring an end to the War,” Trump announced via the platform.
“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.”
Next week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet with Trump at the White House, as Trump intensifies his efforts to mediate peace and secure the return of the remaining hostages.
It will be his third such trip since Trump took office in January.
On Friday, Trump mentioned to reporters that “we believe we’ll secure a ceasefire in Gaza within the next week,” although he didn’t elaborate on the basis for his confidence.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday that Trump and his officials were in constant communication with Israeli leadership, and that bringing about an end to the Gaza conflict is a priority for Trump.
She added: “It’s heartbreaking to see the images that have come out from both Israel and Gaza throughout this war, and the president wants to see it end. He wants to save lives.”
The President’s renewed interest in ending the war comes after Washington tethered itself closer to Israel once again by collaborating in strikes against Iran.
On Monday, his administration approved a new half-billion-dollar arms sale to Israel to resupply its military with bomb-guidance technology.
Around 50 Israeli hostages seized on October 7 are still in Gaza – with only about half of them thought to still be alive.
A previous ceasefire came into effect in mid-January, but broke down two months later.
The agreement surrounding that truce had sketched out a path to the ending the war and the release of all the remaining hostages in Gaza.
Hamas released 38 Israeli hostages during those weeks in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
The Israeli military described the return to combat as “pre-emptive strikes […] based on Hamas’s readiness to execute terror attacks, build up force and re-arm”.
Hamas accused Israel of having “decided to overturn the ceasefire agreement”.
The group previously said it is willing to release all the remaining hostages if Israel pulls out completely from Gaza.
