President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Israel has agreed to a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, during which the United States and its partners will work toward a broader end to the war. Speaking from the White House, Trump pressed Hamas to seize the proposal, warning that “it will not get better – it will only get worse” if the group continues to hold out.
“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,” Trump said, framing the ceasefire as a narrow window to halt bloodshed, secure hostage releases and expand humanitarian aid to Gaza’s civilian population.
The announcement comes just days before Trump is set to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday. Trump has shown renewed interest in brokering a ceasefire and hostage agreement since helping facilitate a historic peace agreement between Israel and Iran earlier this year.
Hamas has indicated willingness to free all remaining hostages in exchange for a complete Israeli troop withdrawal and an end to military operations in Gaza. Israel has rejected that framework, insisting it will only agree to halt combat if Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile—a demand the Palestinian group has firmly refused.
On the ground, Israeli Apache helicopters continue patrols near the Israel-Gaza border, underscoring Tel Aviv’s readiness to resume strikes if the ceasefire collapses. U.S. officials, however, say Hamas’s ability to command and coordinate attacks has been substantially diminished over the course of the nearly 21-month conflict, even as the group retains the capability to inflict fatal blows on Israeli forces.
Trump described the offer as his “best and final” proposal—language that may test Hamas’s commitment to negotiations. In recent weeks, the president has issued a series of escalating ultimatums designed to pressure the group into agreeing to extended pauses in the fighting that would see additional hostages freed and more humanitarian relief reach Gaza residents.
As the White House and allied capitals pour diplomatic resources into the coming weeks, all eyes will be on whether Hamas will pivot toward negotiations or persist with its hard-line stance, potentially prolonging one of the region’s deadliest and most protracted conflicts.
