"We have a real opportunity to end this war," Trump told reporters at the White House. "Hamas and Israel are very close to an agreement on Gaza, and we may announce it today or tomorrow."
According to White House sources, Israel has formally accepted a US proposal for a temporary ceasefire, while the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said it is studying the proposal and conducting internal consultations with Palestinian forces and factions, in coordination with regional mediators in Egypt and Qatar.
The proposal, presented by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, includes a temporary 60-day ceasefire, during which Israel commits to halting all offensive operations in the Gaza Strip for the duration of the agreement, with direct guarantees from the White House.
The main provisions of the first phase of the agreement stipulate the release of 10 living Israeli prisoners, along with the return of the bodies of 18 Israeli detainees held by Hamas.Israel will release 180 prisoners serving life sentences and 1,111 others from Gaza arrested after October 7, 2023, in exchange for the release of the Israeli prisoners. In exchange for the return of the remains of the Israeli detainees, the bodies of 180 Palestinian martyrs from the Strip will be released.
The proposal also includes a clause obligating both parties to cease all military activities immediately upon the agreement's entry into force, as well as to immediately permit the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza through agreed-upon channels, including the United Nations and the Red Crescent. Humanitarian arrangements must be respected throughout the truce period.
The Gaza Strip has been suffering a catastrophic humanitarian and relief crisis since Israel closed the crossings on March 2, preventing the entry of food, medicine, aid, and fuel, while its military escalates its genocidal campaign against the Palestinians in the Strip.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with American support, has been committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, leaving more than 177,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing, in addition to hundreds of thousands displaced.
