Trump says Israel has agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and
urges Hamas to accept deal
[July 02, 2025]
By AAMER MADHANI and SAMY MAGDY
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Israel has
agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and warned Hamas to
accept the deal before conditions worsen.
Trump announced the development as he prepares to host Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks at the White House on Monday. The
U.S. leader has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and
Hamas to broker a ceasefire and hostage agreement and bring about an end
to the war in Gaza.
“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,” Trump wrote, saying the Qataris and Egyptians would
deliver the 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,” he said.
Trump’s promise that it was his best and final offer may find a
skeptical audience with Hamas. Even before the expiration of the war’s
longest ceasefire in March, Trump has repeatedly issued dramatic
ultimatums to pressure Hamas to agree to longer pauses in the fighting
that would see the release of more hostages and a return of more aid to
Gaza’s civilian populace.
Still, Trump views the current moment as a potential turning point in
the brutal conflict that has left more than 56,000 dead in the
Palestinian territory. The Gaza Health Ministry does not differentiate
between civilians and combatants in its death count.
Hamas is still capable of landing fatal blows to Israeli forces. But
U.S. officials believe that the group's been significantly diminished as
its centralized command and control capabilities have deteriorated over
the course of the nearly 21-month conflict. Meanwhile, Hamas’ chief
backer Iran was badly battered last month by 12 days of strikes by
Israel and the United States on Tehran's key nuclear facilities..
Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer was in Washington on
Tuesday for talks with senior administration officials to discuss a
potential Gaza ceasefire, Iran and other matters. Dermer was expected to
meet with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and
special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Earlier Tuesday, Trump repeated his hope for forging an Israel-Hamas
ceasefire deal next week.
Asked if it’s time to put pressure on Netanyahu to get a ceasefire deal
done, Trump said the Israeli prime minister was ready to come to an
agreement.
“He wants to,” Trump said of Netanyahu in an exchange with reporters
while visiting a new immigration detention facility in Florida. “I think
we’ll have a deal next week.”
Talks between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly faltered over a major
sticking point — whether the war should end as part of any ceasefire
agreement. About 50 hostages remain captive in Gaza, with less than half
believed to be alive.
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An Israeli soldier directs a tank at a staging area near the border
with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, Tuesday, July 1, 2025. (AP
Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Hamas says it is willing to free all the hostages in exchange for a
full withdrawal of Israeli troops and an end to the war in Gaza.
Israel rejects that offer, saying it will agree to end the war if
Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile, something that the
group refuses.
The announcement by Trump came as over 150 international charities
and humanitarian groups called Tuesday for disbanding a
controversial Israeli- and U.S.-backed system to distribute aid in
Gaza because of chaos and deadly violence against Palestinians
seeking food at its sites.
The joint statement by groups including Oxfam, Save the Children and
Amnesty International followed the killings of at least 10
Palestinians who were seeking desperately needed food, witnesses and
health officials said. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes killed at least
37 in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, according to Nasser Hospital.
“Tents, tents they are hitting with two missiles?” asked Um Seif Abu
Leda, whose son was killed in the strikes. Mourners threw flowers on
the body bags.
Before Trump's announcement, Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz,
had warned that his country would respond forcefully to the firing
of a missile the military said originated from Yemen. Sirens sounded
across parts of Israel, alerting residents to the attack and the
launch of two projectiles from Gaza. All were intercepted by Israeli
defense systems.
The missile launch marked the first attack by the Iran-backed Houthi
rebels since the end of the 12-day war initiated by Israel with
Iran. Katz said Yemen could face the same fate as Tehran.
Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office, vowed on
social media that Yemen will not “stop its support for Gaza … unless
the aggression stops and the siege on Gaza is lifted.”
Speaking to his Cabinet, Netanyahu did not elaborate on plans for
his visit to Washington next week, except to say he will discuss a
trade deal. Iran is also expected to be a main topic of discussion
in Washington after Trump brokered a ceasefire between it and
Israel.
___
Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Tia Goldenberg
in Jerusalem, Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, and Sally
Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed to this report.
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