Israel Agrees to Gaza Ceasefire, Hamas Response Unclear

Israel agreed to a 60-day ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday, a truce aimed at securing the release of hostages and ending the 21-month-long conflict, even as Hamas hasn’t yet said whether it would accept the deal, Axios reported Wednesday. 

The proposed ceasefire follows months of diplomatic efforts with Washington pushing Israel and Hamas to halt hostilities in the Palestinian enclave, where fighting since October 2023 has created a dire humanitarian crisis and killed tens of thousands. 

The announcement followed hours of meetings Tuesday between US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer at the White House. Israeli officials said Dermer accepted the updated ceasefire and hostage-release proposal from Qatar, adding that Israel is prepared to start indirect talks with Hamas. 

On Wednesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also confirmed that Israel was “serious in our will” to reach a hostage deal and ceasefire, Reuters noted. 

The latest initiative will see a 60-day halt in fighting, a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and expanded humanitarian aid into the territory. It also includes the release of some of the remaining 50 hostages – less than half of whom are believed to still be alive – though the exact number has not been confirmed. 

Israel has not publicly commented on the proposed agreement, which comes as Trump prepares to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House next week. The two leaders are expected to hold discussions on the Gaza conflict, Iran, and other matters. 

Meanwhile, Hamas announced Wednesday it was open to a ceasefire agreement with Israel but stopped short of endorsing Trump’s proposal – sparking questions about whether the latest offer could actually lead to a pause in fighting, the Associated Press added. 

The Iran-backed group has insisted that it would only agree to a ceasefire if it led to the end of the conflict. While Trump said the deal would be used to work toward ending the war, Israeli officials told the AP that Israel is not committing to that as part of the deal. 

Israel has maintained that any long-term ceasefire must include the removal of Hamas, its disarmament, and the exile of its senior leadership.  

In his Tuesday announcement, Trump urged Hamas to accept the deal, warning on a Truth Social post that “it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE.” 

The war in the Gaza Strip began after Hamas and its allies launched an attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and kidnapping more than 250 others. Israel responded with a sweeping military campaign that has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. 

Most of the territory lies in ruins, and more than 90 percent of its 2.3 million people have been displaced. Humanitarian groups have warned about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza that has pushed hundreds of thousands of people toward starvation. 

Hundreds of Gazans have died and thousands have been injured after trying to get aid at distribution points run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. 

On Tuesday, more than 150 aid organizations, including Save the Children and Amnesty International, issued a joint statement calling for the dismantling of the Israeli- and US-backed aid distribution system in the Strip. The contentious scheme has come under fire over reports of disorganization and violence at food distribution points, according to Newsweek.  

The aid organizations have accused Israeli forces and armed groups of “routinely” opening fire on Palestinians seeking aid. A Haaretz report last week quoted Israeli soldiers who said they were told to shoot deliberately at unarmed civilians. 

Israeli officials have denied those allegations.