Trump Pushes Gaza Truce, Hamas Demands War’s End/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Hamas says it’s open to a Gaza ceasefire but won’t accept Trump’s proposal unless the war ends completely. Israel insists Hamas must surrender and disarm before any permanent peace. Talks continue as Gaza endures new deadly strikes amid humanitarian catastrophe.
Quick Look
Hamas Ceasefire Stance → Open to truce but demands full end to war
Trump’s Proposal → 60-day ceasefire, potential path to end conflict
Israel’s Position → No end to war unless Hamas surrenders, disarms
New Death Toll → Over 56,000 dead in Gaza; new strikes kill dozens
Next Steps → Hamas meets mediators in Cairo to discuss truce terms
Hamas Signals Openness to Gaza Ceasefire but Stops Short of Accepting Trump’s Proposal
Deep Look
CAIRO (AP) — Hamas signaled Wednesday that it is open to a ceasefire with Israel but stopped short of endorsing a U.S.-backed proposal unveiled by President Donald Trump, holding firm to its longstanding demand that any agreement must definitively end the war in Gaza.
On Tuesday, Trump announced that Israel had agreed to the terms of a 60-day ceasefire and urged Hamas to accept the plan quickly to prevent further suffering. The U.S. president has been stepping up pressure on both the Israeli government and Hamas to secure a truce, finalize a hostage release, and bring an end to nearly 21 months of war.
Trump said the two-month truce would serve as a window to negotiate a permanent end to the conflict—a condition Israel has repeatedly rejected unless Hamas is defeated militarily and politically. Trump predicted that an agreement could be reached as early as next week.
However, Hamas’s response, stressing its insistence on ending the war, casts uncertainty over whether the latest diplomatic push will succeed in producing even a temporary halt to hostilities.
“Hamas is ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement,” said Hamas official Taher al-Nunu. “We are ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war.”
An Egyptian official, speaking anonymously because he was not authorized to brief the media, said a Hamas delegation is set to meet Wednesday with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo to discuss the proposal further.
Israel and Hamas Still Far Apart on How War Should End
Throughout the war, ceasefire talks have continually collapsed over a fundamental disagreement: Hamas demands that any truce must guarantee a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a formal end to the war, while Israel insists it will only stop fighting if Hamas surrenders, disarms, and removes its leadership from the territory—a scenario Hamas has steadfastly rejected.
An Israeli official said the latest proposal envisions a 60-day ceasefire featuring a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a significant increase in humanitarian aid. Mediators and the United States would offer assurances that discussions toward ending the conflict would follow, but Israel is not committing to a permanent ceasefire as part of the current plan.
The official, not authorized to discuss the sensitive negotiations publicly, spoke on condition of anonymity.
Details remain unclear regarding how many hostages might be released under the new plan. Previous proposals have floated the release of roughly 10 hostages during initial phases.
Israel has not issued a formal response to Trump’s announcement. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Trump at the White House on Monday. That meeting follows recent talks in Washington between Netanyahu adviser Ron Dermer and top U.S. officials on Gaza, Iran, and other regional matters.
Trump Issues Ultimatum
In a social media post Tuesday, Trump wrote that Israel had “agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War.”
“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,” he added.
Yet Hamas is likely to view such ultimatums warily. Even before the collapse of the war’s longest ceasefire in March, Trump had issued numerous high-stakes threats intended to pressure Hamas into agreeing to extended pauses in fighting that would facilitate hostage releases and humanitarian relief for Gaza’s civilians.
Despite the ongoing hurdles, Trump believes the current juncture offers a potential breakthrough in a conflict that has devastated Gaza and reshaped regional politics.
Rising Death Toll Amid Renewed Strikes
The war has killed over 56,000 people in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians but estimates that more than half of the dead are women and children.
Since dawn Wednesday, Israeli airstrikes have killed 40 people across the Gaza Strip, the Health Ministry reported. Hospital officials said the casualties included four children and seven women.
The Israeli military, which often blames Hamas for civilian casualties because militants operate from densely populated areas, said it was reviewing the reports.
The conflict ignited on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and abducting around 250 hostages.
Since then, much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble, with vast portions of its urban landscape obliterated by Israeli bombardments. More than 90% of the enclave’s 2.3 million people have been displaced, many multiple times, triggering a dire humanitarian crisis and leaving hundreds of thousands teetering on the brink of starvation.
You must Register or Login to post a comment.