A potential cessation of hostilities in Gaza could be achieved "within the coming week," according to President Trump's assertions.
Let's Talk About Trump's Ceasefire Proposal for Israel and Hamas
Hey there! Guess what? President Trump reckons a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas could be hammered out "within the coming week."
"I think it's close," Ol' Trump told reporters on Friday. "I reckon we're gonna get a ceasefire within the next week."
The Trump administration has been pushing for a pause in the conflict between Israel and Hamas for weeks now, but a deal has proven to be a slippery fish so far. Neither Israel nor Hamas have spoken up about the possibility of a quick resolution.
In late May last month, Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, put forth a 60-day ceasefire proposal. Under the terms of this proposal, Hamas would relinquish 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 hostages who were captured during Hamas' attack on Israel in 2023. Israel, on the other hand, would release 125 "life sentence" prisoners, 1,111 Palestinian detainees, and 180 deceased Palestinians as part of the deal.
However, Hamas shot back with "some notes and amendments," which Witkoff deemed "totally unacceptable" in a May 31 post on X.
The war commenced on October 7, 2023, when Hamas assaulted southern Israel, leading to the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the abduction of around 250 hostages. Israel responded with an invasion and intense aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip, resulting in over 56,000 casualties, according to figures from the territorial Health Ministry run by Hamas.
Israel and Hamas have brokered two ceasefire and hostage release deals since October 2023, with the last one - a 60-day truce - ending in mid-March. Since then, the fighting has resumed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been under pressure from families of some hostages to negotiate a deal for their release, but the Israeli leader stated last month that the war wouldn't end until Hamas was defeated, although he left the door open for a temporary truce to secure the release of more hostages.
A U.S.- and Israel-backed private aid group, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, began distributing food in the Gaza Strip earlier this month. However, the group has been mired in controversy, with frequent accusations of people being shot by Israeli troops near distribution sites. This controversy led the head of the United Nations' Palestinian refugee agency to label it a "death trap." The group has defended its efforts.
Trump went on to promote the aid efforts on Friday, declaring, "we have a pretty good system now."
Meanwhile, a separate ceasefire between Israel and Iran that began on Tuesday appears to be holding, marking an end to over a week of fighting between the two archrivals.
Joe Walsh, a senior editor for digital politics at our News, brings us this report. Previously, Joe covered breaking news for Forbes and local news in Boston.
- After President Trump's announcement, there has been a surge of general news across various channels about the potential ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with the health ministry in Gaza providing regular updates on casualties.
- Concurrently, political discussions and analysis are also on the rise, as the breaking news of Trump's ceasefire proposal has led to a wave of opinions on potential implications for the region's politics and war-and-conflicts.
- Amidst the ongoing uncertainty, citizens are simultaneously grappling with concerns about their health amid the general-news chaos, seeking reliable updates on the ceasefire status and its potential impact on their wellbeing.
- In other global news, an Iran-Israel ceasefire appears to be holding strong, creating a brief respite from regional conflicts, even as the Trump administration continues its efforts in arranging a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
