Hope is stirring in the prolonged Israel-Hamas conflict as both sides signal a willingness to engage with President Trump’s proposed cease-fire plan. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is slated to address the nation this Saturday evening, following these cautious overtures towards a potential diplomatic breakthrough.
Despite these promising developments, significant obstacles remain to be negotiated to bring a lasting end to the nearly two-year war in Gaza. On Saturday morning, the Israeli government announced its readiness for the “immediate implementation” of the initial phases of Mr. Trump’s proposal. Hours prior, Hamas issued a statement confirming its intent to release all remaining hostages, a central component of the plan. However, the group’s statement notably omitted direct agreement on many other crucial aspects of the proposal.
President Trump expressed strong confidence that a deal was imminent, labeling it a “big day” while simultaneously calling for an immediate halt to Israel’s bombing campaigns in Gaza. He acknowledged that negotiators still had to “get the final word down in concrete,” highlighting the intricate details yet to be settled.
The full execution of Mr. Trump’s ambitious plan presents a formidable challenge. The proposal mandates Hamas to disarm and envisions the establishment of an international security force in Gaza. Hamas’s response did not specify whether it would accept these conditions, particularly concerning the laying down of its weapons. Furthermore, it remains uncertain if Israel is prepared to negotiate substantial modifications to the plan’s proposed post-war governance for Gaza, a vision Mr. Netanyahu publicly supported during a recent White House visit.
Here’s a deeper look at the situation:
- Intense Mediation Efforts: Israeli negotiators are reportedly preparing for indirect talks with Hamas in Egypt. Simultaneously, mediators from Qatar and Egypt are engaged in separate discussions with Hamas about the proposal, with the United States maintaining active communication with Israel through diplomatic channels.
- A Nation Divided by Emotion: Israelis and Palestinians are grappling with a mix of disbelief, cautious hope, and profound confusion. The rapid succession of developments has ignited widespread yearning for an end to the protracted conflict.
- Persistent Hostilities: It is unclear if Israel has fully complied with Mr. Trump’s call for a bombing cessation. Local health officials in Gaza reported approximately 66 fatalities on Friday, a figure that does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Eyewitness accounts from Palestinians in Gaza describe continuing explosions and gunfire into early Saturday morning, suggesting ongoing Israeli military operations. An Israeli military spokesman, Avichay Adraee, cautioned displaced Palestinians against attempting to return to Gaza City, emphasizing that Israeli soldiers “are still surrounding Gaza City, and attempting to return there poses extreme danger.”
- Trump’s Ultimatum: In a social media post, Mr. Trump pressed Hamas to “move quickly, or else all bets will be off,” stating he would “not tolerate delay… or any outcome where Gaza poses a threat again.” The precise implications of this message for Palestinians in Gaza, particularly concerning the continued reported casualties, remain ambiguous.
Mr. Trump’s comprehensive 20-point plan, unveiled earlier this week, aims to secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza and conclude Israel’s military campaign. An estimated 20 living hostages and the bodies of around 25 others are believed to still be held. The plan outlines a phased exchange: Hamas would free hostages within 72 hours and hand over its weapons, leading to a gradual Israeli withdrawal and the establishment of an internationally supervised Palestinian administration for public services.
Hamas’s official response included an agreement to release hostages under the plan’s terms, which would involve Israel releasing 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 1,700 Gazans detained since the war’s onset, with bodies exchanged at a 15-to-1 ratio. However, Hamas also indicated a need for further negotiations on “security measures” and was vague regarding its willingness to disarm or relinquish its dominant role in Gaza, as the plan suggests. A Hamas official, Osama Hamdan, noted that locating all bodies and ensuring security for living hostages would require time, potentially exceeding the 72-hour deadline.
This is not the first time peace efforts have faltered. Previous temporary cease-fires in November 2023 and early this year ultimately collapsed. A fundamental sticking point has consistently been Hamas’s demand for a permanent cease-fire that preserves its influence in post-war Gaza, directly conflicting with Israel’s refusal to accept any deal that leaves Hamas in power. Despite these historical challenges, Hamas’s recent statement has injected a degree of optimism into current negotiations.