The Donald Trump administration is optimistic about the prospects for a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and the release of Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian group Hamas, US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff told reporters in the Oval Office.
“I have a very good feeling about achieving… a temporary ceasefire and a long-term peaceful resolution to this conflict,” he added.
The proposal by Witkoff for a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas was published by The Times of Israel.
According to the publication, the truce plan contains the following conditions:
1. Duration: a 60-day ceasefire, its observance by Israel is guaranteed by US President Donald Trump;
2. Release of hostages: on the first and seventh days of the truce, Hamas will hand over 14 Israeli hostages (28 in total, including 18 bodies of deceased hostages);
on the first and seventh days of the truce, Israel will release 125 Palestinians sentenced to life imprisonment and 1,111 prisoners from the Gaza Strip detained after 7 October 2023. and also transfers 180 bodies;
on the tenth day, Hamas provides information on the remaining hostages (medical reports or confirmation of death) and undertakes to ensure their safety during the ceasefire. In return, Israel shall provide information on prisoners detained after 7 October and the number of bodies of those killed in the Gaza Strip;
3. Israeli military activities: cease offensive operations and restrict the use of airspace in the Gaza Strip by Israel (for 10 hours daily or 12 hours on days of prisoner and hostage exchanges);
4. IDF redeployment: the redeployment of the Israel Defence Forces (after the release of the first group of hostages in the northern part of the Gaza Strip and the Netzarim corridor, the second in the southern part of the enclave, followed by indirect talks between technical teams to work out the final redeployment boundaries);
5. Humanitarian assistance: immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip; negotiations on the terms of a permanent ceasefire from the first day of the truce. If they are not completed within 60 days, this regime may be extended for a period agreed by the parties;
6. Negotiations: Witkoff will chair the talks between Hamas and Israel; the guarantors of the 60-day truce will be the United States, Egypt and Qatar; the US president will personally announce the achievement of a ceasefire agreement.
Israel launched a military operation in the Gaza Strip in response to a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and captured more than 250. Since then, the sides have twice agreed to a ceasefire and exchanged hostages and prisoners. The latest ceasefire ended in March 2025.
