US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions for a 60-day ceasefire in the ongoing conflict in Gaza, stating that the onus is now on Hamas to accept the proposed deal. Trump emphasized that during this two-month period, the United States commits to working with all involved parties to bring an end to the hostilities. The latest proposal is set to be delivered to the Palestinian extremist organization, Hamas, by representatives from Qatar and Egypt, who have been pivotal in mediating peace efforts. Mr. Trump urged Hamas to accept the deal, warning on his Truth Social platform that “it will not get better – IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE.”

The announcement follows a "long and productive meeting" held by U.S. representatives with Israeli officials on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Gaza. While there was no immediate comment from the Israeli side, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, later affirmed that Israel was "absolutely" ready for a ceasefire. This development comes ahead of a crucial meeting next week between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, with the Gaza conflict slated as the top agenda item. Trump expressed optimism for an agreement to be reached next week, stating he plans to be "very firm" with Netanyahu on the urgency of ending the violence, adding that the Israeli leader also seeks a resolution. Preparatory discussions for this high-stakes meeting included senior Israeli official Ron Dermer's engagements with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Vice President JD Vance in Washington.

Beyond Gaza, Trump and Netanyahu have a history of collaboration, notably on a military operation targeting Iran’s nuclear sites in June, which included U.S. B-2 bombing raids. Trump claimed these strikes "obliterated" Tehran’s nuclear capabilities, although analysts remain divided on the actual extent of the damage. Regarding the current ceasefire efforts, Trump reiterated his hope for a deal involving a ceasefire and hostage release between Israel and Hamas. Hamas has signaled its readiness to release the remaining hostages in Gaza as part of a comprehensive ceasefire agreement. However, a significant hurdle remains as Israel insists the war can only conclude if Hamas is disarmed and dismantled, a condition Hamas has consistently rejected. It is estimated that around 50 Israeli hostages are still held in Gaza, with at least 20 believed to be alive.

The conflict escalated following the Hamas-led militants’ surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the abduction of 251, according to Israeli figures. Since then, Gaza’s health ministry reports over 56,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military campaign. This offensive has led to widespread displacement, severe food shortages, and ongoing legal scrutiny, including genocide allegations at the International Court of Justice and war crimes investigations at the International Criminal Court, all of which Israel denies. Ambassador Danon commented that Hamas is "playing hardball," asserting that if they do not come to the table, the only option to retrieve the hostages is to apply more military pressure, stressing that "The war will end when the hostages are back home."

Mediators have intensified efforts to broker a new ceasefire and hostage release deal, but negotiations with Israel reportedly remain stalled. Trump’s recent comments also coincided with Israel’s orders for evacuations in northern Gaza in anticipation of increased military action. Recent incidents include an Israeli air strike on a seafront cafe in Gaza City, which medics and eyewitnesses reported killed at least 20 Palestinians. Furthermore, the Israeli military is investigating reports of civilians being harmed while approaching aid distribution centers in Gaza run by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Over 170 charities and NGOs, including Oxfam and Save the Children, have called for the GHF to be shut down, alleging Israeli forces "routinely" open fire on Palestinians seeking aid. Israel denies these accusations, asserting the GHF is necessary to bypass Hamas interference in aid distribution. A previous ceasefire deal in March collapsed when Israel launched fresh strikes, described as "pre-emptive strikes... based on Hamas's readiness to execute terror attacks, build up force and re-arm." That earlier deal, which began on January 19, was designed in three stages but did not progress beyond the first, which was meant to include a permanent ceasefire, the return of remaining living hostages for imprisoned Palestinians, and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.