The situation at a glance: 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. During this time, the US would work with all parties to end the war, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. He strongly urged the Islamist Hamas to accept the proposal as well. "I hope for the good of the Middle East that Hamas accepts this deal, because it's not going to get better—IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE," he wrote.

After a ceasefire was recently reached 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 dragged on for nearly 21 months. The 60-day ceasefire, which has been under negotiation for months, would be an important step in that direction. Representatives from Qatar and Egypt, who have been strongly committed to peace, would now deliver this "final proposal" to Hamas, Trump wrote.

There were initially no indications that the terrorist organization was willing to accept the terms of the agreement. It is unclear whether the latest proposal addresses the central sticking point of previous rounds of negotiations: Hamas's demand for a firm commitment that the ceasefire will lead to a permanent end to the war. Ideas were put forward with the goal of "getting the Israelis to agree. And they did," a US official told the US news site Axios.

Israel has agreed to the "necessary conditions" to conclude the 60-day ceasefire, Trump wrote. Next week, he will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington. Asked how decisively he would speak to Netanyahu regarding an end to the Gaza war, Trump had previously said, "very decisively." Netanyahu also wants to end the war. He expects an agreement to be reached next week, Trump said, after having already raised the prospect of a possible ceasefire in Gaza a few days ago.

Meanwhile, according to the army, Israel's air defenses intercepted another rocket fired from Yemen at Israel. The Iranian-allied Houthi militia in Yemen said the target was Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. Drones were also sent toward "three sensitive" targets.

Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz then threatened the militia: "After we have defeated the snakehead in Tehran, we will also defeat the Houthis in Yemen," Katz said, according to his office. "Whoever raises a hand against Israel will have their hand 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.

Trump's announcement on the Gaza war came after several hours of talks at the White House between his special envoy Steve Witkoff and Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, Axios reported. They discussed an updated Qatari proposal for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. Dermer said Israel accepted it and was willing to engage in indirect talks with Hamas, the news site quoted a senior official as saying.

The Israeli news site "ynet" quoted senior sources familiar with 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 of an end to the war. However, "some differences" still need to be bridged before a breakthrough can be called a breakthrough.

According to Axios, Israeli officials warned that the military would expand its operations in Gaza if negotiations on a ceasefire and hostage deal do not progress soon. They would do to Gaza City in the north and the central areas of Gaza the same as they did to Rafah in the south. "Everything will crumble to dust," a senior Israeli official was quoted as saying. "It's not our preferred option, but if there's no movement toward a hostage deal, we have no other choice."

For Israel's leadership, any long-term ceasefire must include the dismantling 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 are not affiliated with 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 with Trump at the White House on Monday. Following the ceasefire with Iran, the focus is now on a possible agreement with Syria and a comprehensive agreement that would end the Gaza war and establish diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, according to the Times of Israel.

Before traveling to Washington, Netanyahu will convene the security cabinet again in Jerusalem on Saturday evening, according to the news site "ynet." The focus of the discussions will be negotiations on a hostage deal and the continuation of the fighting in the Gaza Strip. According to official Israeli sources, 50 abductees are still being held in the sealed-off Gaza Strip, of which at least 20 are believed to be still alive.

The war was triggered by the attack by Hamas and other Islamist terrorist organizations on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage to Gaza. Since then, according to the Hamas-controlled health authority, more than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza. This figure, which is difficult to independently verify, does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

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