Donald Trump pushes fragile Gaza ceasefire plan as Hamas hesitates

Efforts to broker a new ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip have intensified, with US President Donald Trump announcing on Friday that mediators were “very close” to securing an agreement. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump hinted that a breakthrough could come “during the day or maybe tomorrow.”

The proposed agreement, currently under discussion by Israel, Hamas and mediating countries including Qatar and Egypt, is built around a draft statement by Trump himself. This declaration is intended to serve as a form of guarantee, asserting that the president “is serious about the parties’ adherence to the ceasefire agreement” and that if negotiations during the temporary truce are successful, they could lead to a permanent resolution of the conflict.

Israel has already accepted the US proposal for a temporary ceasefire, according to a White House announcement on May 29. However, Hamas remains wary. While the group previously acknowledged reaching a “general framework” with Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, it has expressed concern that the current proposal lacks concrete guarantees of a permanent end to the war.

Central to Hamas’s hesitation is a deep mistrust of Trump’s intentions, especially if negotiations reach a stalemate.

Qatar, which has long served as an intermediary in the conflict, is applying pressure on Hamas to agree. Doha’s UN ambassador Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani confirmed that negotiations were ongoing, saying: “We are very determined to find an ending to this horrific situation in Gaza.”

The draft proposal offers a 60-day ceasefire. In return for the release of 10 living Israeli hostages and the bodies of 18 others, Israel would release 125 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences, 1,111 Gazans detained since October 7, 2023, and the bodies of 180 dead Palestinians. The Israel Defense Forces would also withdraw from certain areas in Gaza, with the specifics to be finalised through “proximity negotiations”.

Hamas has said it is studying the proposal “with all national responsibility,” even as it voiced disappointment. Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, said the deal “does not respond to any of our people’s demands, foremost among which is stopping the war and famine.” The group is currently consulting with other Palestinian factions, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad, to formulate a collective response.

Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on all sides. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to bring the proposal before his cabinet for approval. While he reportedly told hostage families that he “principally accepts” the deal, he has also reiterated that he will not end the war without eliminating Hamas. This stance has drawn criticism from right-wing ministers and some families, who believe the time is ripe to intensify pressure on Hamas rather than negotiate.

Israel Defence Minister Israel Katz took a hard line yesterday, declaring: “The Hamas murderers will now be forced to choose: accept the terms of the ‘Witkoff Deal’ for the release of the hostages or be annihilated.”

Though the talks represent the most serious effort in months to end nearly 20 months of war, they come amid worsening conditions for civilians in Gaza. Aid has trickled in only after Israel partially lifted a two-month blockade, and the United Nations has warned that the entire population is at risk of famine.

UN humanitarian agency spokesperson Jens Laerke described Gaza yesterday as “the hungriest place on earth.”

The desperation has sparked violence and lawlessness. Armed individuals recently looted large quantities of food and medical aid meant for malnourished children from a UN warehouse. Humanitarian groups have warned that without urgent relief, the security situation could further deteriorate.

On the ground, air strikes have continued. On Friday alone, 27 people were killed, including 13 in Khan Younis where a tent was hit, killing eight children. Another 12 bodies, including those of three women, were brought to Shifa Hospital from the Jabaliya refugee camp. May 30 saw at least 72 deaths, although figures from northern Gaza remain incomplete due to ongoing combat. Since the war began, Gaza’s health ministry reports over 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, the toll does not distinguish between civilians and fighters.

While the latest ceasefire proposal may not yet satisfy all sides, the cost of inaction grows heavier by the day. As one UN official, speaking anonymously from Rafah, said: “We are not negotiating with time. We are negotiating against death.”

Middle East