Politics Trump: Israel agrees to Gaza deal - waiting for Hamas
According to US President Donald Trump, Israel has agreed to an updated proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza war, initially limited to 60 days.
02.07.2025, 05:06
SDA
During this time, the US would work with all parties to end the war, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. He urged the Islamist Hamas to also accept the proposal. "I hope for the good of the Middle East that Hamas accepts this deal, because it will not get better - IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE," he wrote.
Following the recent ceasefire between Israel and Iran after 12 days of war, Trump is now pushing for a breakthrough in the Gaza Strip, where the war between Israel and Hamas has been dragging on for almost 21 months. The 60-day ceasefire, which has been under negotiation for months, would be an important step in this direction. Representatives from Qatar and Egypt, who have been very committed to peace, would now deliver this "final proposal" to Hamas, Trump wrote.
Will Hamas agree?
There were initially no signs that the terrorist organization was prepared to accept the terms of the agreement. It is unclear whether the latest proposal takes into account the central sticking point of previous rounds of negotiations: Hamas' demand for a firm commitment that the ceasefire will lead to a permanent end to the war. Ideas had been put forward with the aim of "getting the Israelis to agree. And they did," a US official told the US news site "Axios".
Israel had agreed to the "necessary conditions" to conclude the 60-day ceasefire, Trump wrote. Next week, he will receive Israel's head of government Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington. When asked how decisive he would be towards Netanyahu with regard to ending the Gaza war, Trump had previously said: "very decisive". Netanyahu also wants to end the war. He assumed that there would be an agreement next week, Trump said, having already held out the prospect of a possible ceasefire in Gaza a few days ago.
Israel intercepts missile from Yemen again
Meanwhile, Israel's air defenses once again intercepted a missile fired at Israel from Yemen, according to the army. The Houthi militia in Yemen, which is allied with Iran, stated that the target was Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. Drones were also sent towards "three sensitive" targets.
Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz then threatened the militia: "After we hit the snake's head in Tehran, we will also hit the Huthi in Yemen," said Katz according to his office. "Whoever raises their hand against Israel - their hand will be cut off." Since the beginning of the Gaza war in October 2023, the Houthi militia has been attacking Israel with rockets and drones - as an expression of its solidarity with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Report: Israel ready for negotiations
Trump's announcement on the Gaza war came after several hours of talks in the White House between his special envoy Steve Witkoff and the Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, wrote Axios. They discussed an updated proposal from Qatar for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. Dermer had said that Israel accepted it and was prepared to enter into indirect talks with Hamas, the news site quoted a senior official as saying.
"Everything will crumble to dust"
The Israeli news website "ynet" quoted senior sources who are privy to the negotiations for the release of the hostages in Gaza as saying that both Hamas and Israel are motivated to move forward and begin negotiations - even without absolute guarantees for an end to the war. However, "some differences" still need to be bridged before a breakthrough can be achieved.
According to "Axios", Israeli officials warned that the military would expand its operations in Gaza if the negotiations on a ceasefire and a hostage deal did not make progress soon and that the same would be done with the city of Gaza in the north and the central areas of Gaza as with Rafah in the south. "Everything will crumble to dust," a senior Israeli official was quoted as saying. "It is not our preferred option, but if there is no movement towards a hostage deal, we have no other choice."
Netanyahu discusses further course of action
For Israel's leadership, any long-term ceasefire must include the disempowerment of Hamas, the dissolution of its military wing and the exile of its senior commanders. Israel wants the Gaza Strip to be administered by local Palestinian officials who do not belong to Hamas or the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs the West Bank and is led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
According to Israeli media, Netanyahu will meet Trump at the White House on Monday. Following the ceasefire with Iran, the focus is now shifting to a possible agreement with Syria and a comprehensive agreement to end the Gaza war and establish diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, according to the Times of Israel.
Before he travels to Washington, Netanyahu will reconvene the security cabinet in Jerusalem on Saturday evening, according to the news website "ynet". The consultations will focus on negotiations over a hostage deal and the continuation of fighting in the Gaza Strip. According to official Israeli information, 50 abductees are still being held in the sealed-off Gaza Strip, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
The war was triggered by the attack on Israel by Hamas and other Islamist terrorist organizations on 7 October 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage in Gaza. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, more than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since then. The figure, which is almost impossible to verify independently, does not distinguish between civilians and fighters.
