US President Donald Trump has urged Hamas to accept a proposed 60-day ceasefire deal with Israel, warning that rejecting it would only worsen the situation in Gaza.
Trump confirmed that Israel has agreed to the key terms of the ceasefire, and that Qatar and Egypt are set to deliver the “final proposal” to the Palestinian group.
In a post on social media, Trump said, “My representatives had a long and productive meeting with the Israelis today on Gaza. Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60-Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War.”
He added a direct message to Hamas: “I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE.”
The announcement comes ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington next week, where he will meet Trump and top American security officials. According to reports, US envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Vice President JD Vance met with Ron Dermer, a senior Netanyahu adviser, to finalize terms.
The Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages in Israel. Since then, over 56,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in Israeli airstrikes, and the entire Gaza population has been displaced. The war has also led to famine, genocide accusations at the International Court of Justice, and war crimes investigations at the International Criminal Court — all of which Israel denies.
As part of the current negotiations, Hamas is demanding a full Israeli troop withdrawal and a permanent ceasefire. Israel, however, insists the war will only end if Hamas is dismantled and disarmed, which Hamas refuses.
A Hamas spokesperson, Taher al-Nunu, stated that the group is open to “any proposal that brings a complete end to the war and withdrawal of occupation forces,” but clarified that “no breakthrough” has been achieved so far.
Trump, meanwhile, sounded optimistic. Speaking in Florida, he said Netanyahu “wants to end it too,” and added: “I think we’ll have a deal next week.”