U.S. President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he’s put forth a new ceasefire proposal that will end the fighting between Israel and Hamas, as well as bring the remaining hostages in Hamas’ captivity home. Trump said Israel has accepted his terms, while an Israeli official said their government was “seriously considering” it.
Deal or no deal
“Everyone wants the Hostages HOME. Everyone wants this War to end!” Trump wrote on Truth Social Sunday. “The Israelis have accepted my Terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well. I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning, there will not be another one!”
According to Israeli media, details of the proposal include Hamas releasing all 48 hostages –– both dead and alive –– in its captivity on the first day of the ceasefire. In exchange, Israel would release thousands of Palestinian civilians and Hamas combatants it currently has imprisoned.
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There is reportedly no set timeframe on the duration of the ceasefire, unlike a previous attempt that was broken into three phases and effectively fell apart at the conclusion of the first phase. Rather, the ceasefire will persist as long as negotiations last, with an eye towards drawing Israel’s war in Gaza to a close.
Why have previous proposals failed?
Hamas has, at various times, entered into negotiations with mediators in Egypt and Qatar. Most recently, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari called Hamas’ response “very positive and closely aligned with what Israel had previously accepted.”
However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the group’s amendments to potential agreements, arguing that anything short of complete demilitarization is unacceptable.
“We insist not only that Hamas be disarmed, but also that Israel enforce the demilitarization of the Strip over time through continuous action against any attempt at rearmament or organization by any terror group,” Netanyahu has said.
Netanyahu’s all-or-nothing approach to the war is beginning to lose significant support among Israelis. During protests in August, the Hostages Families Forum accused the prime minister of scuttling numerous attempts to end the war.
“Today everyone in Israel already knows that there were many opportunities to bring the hostages back,” the forum said in a statement. “The one who torpedoed, rejected and avoided [a deal] is the one who raised the price.”
Israeli Supreme Court sides with Palestinian prisoners
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled 2-1 that the government under Netanyahu is not providing adequate food for Palestinian prisoners.
According to the justices, “the current food supply to prisoners does not sufficiently guarantee compliance with the legal standard.” They added that they have “real doubts” about the nutritional well-being of Palestinians being held by the state.
