New Delhi: Israel has agreed to the “conditions” for a 60-day ceasefire in the war with Hamas in Gaza, US President Donald J. Trump said Tuesday, while urging Hamas to accept the deal. The details of the new initiative are believed to be on the agenda when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the White House next week.
“My representatives had a long and productive meeting with the Israelis today on Gaza. Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalise the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War,” Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.
The US President added: “The Qataris and Egyptians, who have worked very hard to help bring Peace, will deliver this final proposal. 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.”
While there has been no statement from Israel or Hamas on this yet, diplomatic sources have indicated that clarity on the contours of the new initiative is expected to come after Netanyahu meets Trump next week, while some of the details are likely to be shared in the next few days.
Netanyahu informed his government Tuesday that he will meet Trump next week in “the wake of the great victory that we have achieved in Operation Rising Lion”. The Israeli Prime Minister is likely to meet US Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth and the American envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.
Netanyahu is also set to meet Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to discuss the trade deal between Israel and the US, while meeting American Congresspersons and leaders of the Senate.
The meeting between Trump and Netanyahu will be the first after the Israeli and American militaries struck Iran’s nuclear sites during the 12-day conflict that began on 13 June. On 21 June, American bombers used their massive ordinance penetrator bombs targeting Natanz and Fordow uranium enrichment sites. Trump has claimed that all the sites have been “completely obliterated”.
Operation Rising Lion launched by Israel on 13 June hit key nuclear facilities, as well as targeting senior Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists. Iran retaliated with its own Operation True Promise 3, which saw a number of ballistic missiles hit Israeli infrastructure. At least 985 Iranians have been killed, while 29 Israelis died during the conflict.
The ceasefire agreed to between Iran and Israel has held, however, within hours of it coming into force, Trump on social media demanded that Israeli aircraft in the skies must not drop their payload on Iranian targets, going so far as to swear at the leadership in both countries.
The war in Gaza has been ongoing since October 2023, after Hamas launched Operation al-Aqsa Flood, which killed over 1,100 Israelis. At least 250 Israelis were taken hostage by Hamas.
In the last 20-odd months, Hamas has released around 148 hostages, of whom eight were dead, in exchanges during ceasefire agreements with Israel. The Israeli forces have retrieved bodies of 41 hostages, and rescued eight. There are around 50 hostages remaining with Hamas. A large number of these hostages are believed to be dead, according to reports.
At least 56,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began, while another 1,000 people have been killed in the West Bank, according to reports. Nearly 2.3 million Palestinians have been displaced since the conflict began, with large swathes of Gaza currently uninhabitable.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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