On May 30, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the families of the hostages held in Gaza that Israel accepted a deal proposed by Donald Trump's Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Netanyahu's office did not confirm the information, but White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Israel had approved the plan.
A source said the first phase of the deal would include a 60-day ceasefire and an expansion of humanitarian aid into Gaza. However, Hamas is still discussing the proposal and expressed reservations. senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said the terms reflected Israel's stance and did not include a commitment to end the conflict, withdraw troops or provide aid - conditions set by Hamas.
The deep disagreements between Hamas and Israel have led to many failed attempts to re-establish the previous ceasefire. The most recent ceasefire collapsed after only 2 months. Israel continues to demand that Hamas must completely dis arm itself, dissolve it as a military and government force, and demand the release of all 58 hostages still held in Gaza before ending the conflict. Meanwhile, Hamas rejected the request to hand over weapons and affirmed that Israel must withdraw troops, pledging to end the conflict.
In parallel with the mediation efforts, aid distribution activities in Gaza carried out by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), with the support of the US and the approval of Israel, have been expanded to a third distribution point. Despite being heavily criticized by the United Nations and other aid groups for being ineffective, GHF has provided about 1.8 million meals and plans to open more points in the near future.
However, the chaotic start of the campaign has fueled international pressure for Israel to increase aid and end the fighting, especially in the context of the United Nations warning that up to 2 million Gazans are facing hunger risks after more than 11 weeks of lockdown.
Mr. Steve Witkoff said the US is about to send a new set of terms to both sides of the conflict and expressed hope for a long-term solution, including a temporary ceasefire and the possibility of a peaceful end to the conflict.
