U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza.
“We will work with all parties during this ceasefire period in Gaza to bring the war to an end,” Trump said, adding that Qatari and Egyptian mediators are expected to present the final proposal to conclude the war in Gaza.
Trump had previously announced that the United States was aiming to broker a truce between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas “within the coming week.”
Speaking to reporters before departing for Florida, he said, “We hope to reach a ceasefire. We hope it happens within the week… I will be firm with Netanyahu about ending the war.”
Last Friday, Trump declared that a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was “close.”
However, on the ground, fierce fighting continues between the Israeli occupation forces and Palestinian resistance factions.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military confirmed that it had expanded its offensive across the Gaza Strip.
What’s the Trade-Off?
According to Israel’s Haaretz, a plan under discussion to end the war in Gaza may include what it described as “political compensation” for Israel — intended to soften the opposition of far-right ministers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, who are likely to resist any deal that involves halting the war.
The Hebrew daily, citing unnamed Israeli, American, and Gulf sources, reported that the emerging plan might feature “political compensation” in the form of renewed talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia about normalisation, a possible agreement with Oman, and even a historic statement from Syria to end its formal state of hostility with Israel.
Sources noted that linking these regional moves to a prisoner exchange with Hamas aims to make the overall deal more palatable to Israel’s far-right cabinet members — many of whom are expected to pressure Netanyahu to reject any plan that includes ending the war.
Pressure from Israeli Families of Captives
In a related development, families of Israeli captives held in Gaza said on Tuesday that Trump’s remarks about a potential ceasefire sent a clear message to Prime Minister Netanyahu that “the time has come to end the war.”
Earlier that day, Trump told reporters, “I hope it happens, and we look forward to seeing it happen sometime next week.”
Responding in a statement published on X, the families said: “When Trump expresses hope for a ceasefire announcement this week, he is sending a message to Prime Minister Netanyahu that the time has come to end the war.”
They added: “It is time to act now,” emphasising that “soldiers should not pay with their lives for trivial motives” related to Netanyahu’s political interests.
The Israeli opposition and the families of the captives maintain that Netanyahu is prolonging the war to appease the most extreme right-wing elements in his coalition — a move they see as serving his personal political survival more than any strategic interest.
The families concluded their statement by saying: “The abducted cannot wait — and neither can we.” They stressed that “the era of partial deals is over,” countering Netanyahu’s previous approach.
From a moral, social, and humanitarian perspective, they said, no captive — alive or dead — should be abandoned in Gaza.
Bullshit!