US, Israel Await Answer From Hamas on Ceasefire

The Trump administration is awaiting an answer from Hamas after sending a proposal for a temporary ceasefire that would allow humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza—a plan Israel already has agreed to, officials said. The first phase would halt fighting for 60 days, the New York Times reports. Hamas' initial reaction—that the guarantees on ending the war are not strong enough—was not encouraging. But an official told the AP that Hamas wants to review the proposal more closely before committing to a formal response. "The Zionist response, in essence, means perpetuating the occupation and continuing the killing and famine," Bassem Naim said.

Hamas previously said it had agreed with Steve Witkoff, President Trump's special envoy, on a "general framework" that would lead to a lasting ceasefire, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, an influx of aid, and a transfer of power from the militant group to a politically independent committee of Palestinians. Other nations, including allies of Israel, have expressed impatience with the continued attacks in Gaza. Germany, Italy, the UK, Canada, and France have been critical of Israel's expansion of the fighting in Gaza, per the Times. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to end the war until all the hostages are released and Hamas is either destroyed or disarmed and sent into exile.

Ceasefire terms: Witkoff has not released information about the proposal, but the AP reports it calls for guarantees of serious negotiations leading to a long-term truce and assurances that Israel will not resume hostilities after the release of hostages, as it did in March. Israeli forces would pull back to the positions they held during the ceasefire that Israel ended that month. Under the terms, Hamas would release 10 living hostages and a number of bodies during the 60-day pause in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, including 100 of them who are serving long sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks. (More Israel-Hamas war stories.)