Is Gaza Ceasefire Within Reach? Trump ‘Optimistic’ But Here's Where Things Stand

Last Updated:July 05, 2025, 20:15 IST

Hamas agrees to a 60-day truce with Israel, raising hopes for a Gaza ceasefire. Trump is optimistic about a deal next week amid international and internal pressure in Israel.

Israel-Hamas War: Israeli tanks return from the Gaza Strip after completing a mission. (Reuters file photo)

After Hamas announced that it had “submitted a positive response" to a proposal for a 60-day truce with Israel, US President Donald Trump said he’s “optimistic" that a ceasefire deal in Gaza could be agreed next week.

“We have to get it over with," Trump said Friday. “We have to do something about Gaza."

After months of deadlock, an agreement between Israel and Hamas now appears possible, as both sides have agreed to a revised proposal, bridging their long-standing conflicting demands.

A truce between Iran and Israel, US pressure, and a change in Israel’s war objectives have all contributed to renewed momentum

Following the Israel-Iran ceasefire on June 24, mediators Qatar and Egypt, as well as the United States, have redoubled their calls for a new Gaza truce. A Qatari foreign ministry spokesman told CNN the Israel-Iran agreement had created “momentum" for the latest talks between Israel and Hamas.

Netanyahu’s government faces growing global criticism for the Palestinian suffering in Gaza amid the ongoing war.

Israel imposed a full blockade on humanitarian aid to Gaza in March, easing it slightly in May after international warnings of potential starvation for hundreds of thousands of people.

In recent days, hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by Israeli strikes. And aid distribution has been marred by violence, with hundreds killed on their way to try to obtain food from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the controversial US-backed aid initiative that began operating at the end of May.

Pressure is also growing on Netanyahu from within Israel.

Netanyahu’s government, supported by far-right allies pushing for more aggression in Gaza, faces opposition from leader Yair Lapid, who has offered to join a coalition to facilitate a hostage deal. Notably, polls indicate that a majority of the country wants a deal to bring the hostages home, even if it means an end to the war.

Israel’s Demands

Netanyahu remains committed to his broader objectives, including disarming Gaza and destruction of Hamas’ military capabilities and governance abilities, alongside securing the release of hostages. His stance on these maximalist aims hasn’t wavered, despite the ongoing conflict.

The Prime Minister, last week, shifted his stance, prioritising the safe return of hostages over defeating Hamas, a goal he previously called the “supreme objective"

“Many opportunities have opened up", Netanyahu said following Israel’s military operations in Iran, including the possibility of bringing home everyone still held captive by Hamas. “Firstly, to rescue the hostages," he said. “Of course, we will also need to solve the Gaza issue, defeat Hamas, but I believe we will accomplish both missions."

What About Hamas?

Hamas on Friday announced that it “submitted a positive response to the mediators, and the movement is fully prepared to immediately enter into a round of negotiations regarding the mechanism for implementing this framework."

Hamas has outlined three core demands for a ceasefire agreement. Firstly, they insist on a permanent end to the fighting, ensuring a lasting halt to military operations. Secondly, they want humanitarian assistance to be facilitated without restrictions, potentially involving the United Nations in the process. Lastly, Hamas demands that Israel withdraw its forces to the positions held before March 2, 2025.

Proposed Deal

Although the fine detail of the proposal is yet to be released, it is clear that the revised plan is an attempt to bridge some of the differences between Israel and Hamas.

According to a CNN source, familiar with the negotiations, the timeline of the latest proposal calls for the release of 10 living Israeli hostages and 18 deceased hostages spread out over the full 60-day period.

The Israeli Government said that out of the 50 hostages still in Gaza, at least 20 of them are believed to be alive.

Under the proposed ceasefire deal, Hamas would release eight living hostages on the first day of the 60-day truce. In exchange, Israel would release an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, and withdraw its forces from pre-agreed locations in northern Gaza.

The sources said that Israel and Hamas would also immediately enter into negotiations for a permanent ceasefire once the initial truce goes into effect.

According to the proposed deal, Hamas will release hostages discreetly, without public ceremonies or fanfare, as requested by Israel. This approach differs from the previous truce, where Hamas staged public propaganda events around hostage transfers, sparking outrage in Israel.

Similar to the previous ceasefire, which began on January 19, humanitarian aid will immediately begin to flow into Gaza at the start of the ceasefire, including from the United Nations and from other aid organisations.

This leaves the fate of the US-backed GHF and its role in Gaza unclear.

An Israeli official told CNN that the US and the mediators have provided stronger assurances about reaching a settlement to end the war in Gaza as part of the updated proposal, something that, in principle, should address one of Hamas’ key concerns.

The official did not provide the specific language in the document, but said the wording is stronger than previous assurances.

During the 21-month Israel-Hamas conflict, brief ceasefires have cumulatively lasted only about nine weeks.

According to the Palestinian health ministry, more than 57,000 people, of whom more than 17,000 are children, have been killed in Gaza during the fighting.

The first ceasefire came into effect in November 2023, but lasted only a week.

A temporary ceasefire was reached in January 2025, just before Trump’s return to the White House, which lasted over 8 weeks. During this period, Hamas released 33 hostages, while Israel freed approximately 50 Palestinian prisoners for each Israeli hostage released.

The ceasefire was supposed to transition into a permanent agreement, but Israel broke the truce on March 18, restarting its military campaign to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining hostages.

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United States of America (USA)

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