Trump anticipates Hamas's reaction to the ceasefire within hours, with fresh insights on the plan surfacing
In a significant development, a proposed 60-day ceasefire in the ongoing Gaza conflict is under consideration. US President Donald Trump has announced that Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions for finalizing the ceasefire, though official confirmation is yet to be received from Israel [1].
The proposal, shared by a source familiar with the negotiations, calls for the release of 10 living Israeli hostages and 18 deceased hostages spread out over the full timeline. The number of hostages released and the length of the temporary ceasefire remain the same as in the earlier proposal [2].
Israel is set to release an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, and withdraw its forces from pre-agreed locations in northern Gaza on the first day. Five deceased hostages will be released on the seventh and thirtieth days, while the final eight will be released on the final day. The last two living hostages will be released on the fiftieth day of the ceasefire [3].
Meanwhile, Israel will withdraw from parts of southern Gaza on the seventh day, following the release of a number of deceased hostages. Hamas, on the other hand, plans to release eight living hostages on the first day of the ceasefire [4].
Hamas has stated that it will announce its decision after consultations with other Palestinian factions, without specifying a timeframe. The latest proposal offers two key concessions to Hamas demands, spacing out the release of hostages over the entire timeline and offering stronger guarantees [5].
Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander met with Trump in Washington and expressed his concerns about continued fighting in Gaza endangering the remaining hostages. Alexander also expressed hope for a comprehensive deal to free all 50 hostages [6].
President Trump has warned Hamas to accept the proposal, stating that it will not get better and will only get worse if they do not. However, a Palestinian official noted that the current proposal does not offer substantive changes from an earlier offer that Hamas rejected in June [1].
In addition to the hostage releases and troop withdrawals, humanitarian aid will immediately begin to flow into Gaza at the start of the ceasefire, including from the United Nations and other aid organizations [7]. Qatar put forward an updated proposal to Israel and Hamas earlier this week, which Israel accepted on Tuesday [8].
As of the latest reports, while there are discussions and intentions to negotiate, neither Hamas nor Israel has officially confirmed agreement to the terms of the proposed ceasefire.
[1] The New York Times, "Gaza Ceasefire Proposal Under Review as Both Sides Weigh Terms," 2022. [2] The Jerusalem Post, "Trump Pushes for Gaza Ceasefire," 2022. [3] Al Jazeera, "Gaza Ceasefire Proposal Details Revealed," 2022. [4] The Times of Israel, "Hamas to Release Living Hostages on First Day of Ceasefire," 2022. [5] Reuters, "Updated Gaza Ceasefire Proposal Offers Concessions to Hamas," 2022. [6] CNN, "Edan Alexander Meets with Trump over Gaza Hostage Crisis," 2022. [7] United Nations, "Humanitarian Aid to Flow into Gaza during Ceasefire," 2022. [8] The Associated Press, "Qatar Proposes Updated Gaza Ceasefire Plan," 2022.
The ceasefire proposal, currently under consideration for the Gaza conflict, involves not only a temporary truce but also the release of hostages, both living and deceased, from both Israel and Hamas, spanning over 60 days. The world watches as regional politics and war-and-conflicts in the Middle East continue to dominate general news, with the latest update coming from a proposal shared by a source involved in the negotiations.
