Cessation of hostilities? Trump's ceasefire statement offers Gazans a ray of hope

Cairo/Jerusalem: Word from US President Donald Trump that Israel has agreed to the conditions needed to finalise a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza raised hopes on Wednesday in the enclave, where health officials said at least 20 people had been killed in Israeli attacks.

A "final" proposal would be delivered by the mediators, Qatar and Egypt, to Hamas, Trump said in a social media post on Tuesday, after what he described as a "long and productive" meeting between his representatives and Israeli officials.

Gazans said even a temporary pause would bring relief.

"I hope it would work this time, even if for two months, it would save thousands of innocent lives," Kamal, a resident of Gaza City, said by phone.

There is growing public pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and end the nearly two-year-long war, a move strongly opposed by hardline members of his right-wing ruling coalition.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar wrote on X on Wednesday that a majority within the coalition government would back an agreement that would see the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas militants in Gaza.

"If there is an opportunity to do so - we must not miss it!", he wrote on X. Of 50 hostages still held, around 20 are believed to be still alive.

For Gazans, who have fled multiple times and face daily struggles to find food 21 months into Israel's military campaign, the statements provided a glimmer of hope.

"Everyone is hopeful that it would work this time, there is no room for more failures, every day more costs us our lives," said Tamer Al-Burai, a businessman.

"We are living the most difficult days. People want an end to the war, an end to the starvation and humiliation."

There was no immediate official comment by either Israel or Hamas to Trump's latest statement on the progress of the plan.

"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's statement said, without specifying the conditions.

Iran link

The US president appeared to be seeking to use any momentum from US and Israeli strikes on nuclear sites in Iran and a recently agreed ceasefire in that conflict to put pressure on Hamas, which is backed by Tehran. Israeli leaders also believe that, with Iran weakened by last month's 12-day war, other countries in the region have an opportunity to forge ties with Israel.

A Hamas official declined immediate comment on Trump's statement. A source close to the group said leaders of the Islamist faction were expected to debate the proposal and seek clarifications from mediators before giving an official response.

At the end of May, Hamas had said it was seeking amendments to a US-backed ceasefire proposal, which Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff said was "totally unacceptable."

That proposal had involved a 60-day ceasefire and the release of half the hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the remains of other Palestinians; Hamas would release the remaining hostages as part of a deal that guarantees the end of the war.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid wrote on X on Wednesday that his party could provide the government with a safety net if hardline members of the Israeli cabinet opposed a deal, effectively pledging not to back a no-confidence motion in parliament that could topple the government.

Gaza health authorities said Israeli gunfire and military strikes killed at least 20 Palestinians in separate attacks in north and southern areas, and the Israeli military ordered more evacuations late on Tuesday.

In response to questions from Reuters about the reports, the Israeli military stated that its operations aimed to dismantle Hamas' military capabilities and mitigate civilian harm, without commenting on specific incidents.

The war began when Hamas fighters stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took 251 hostages back to Gaza in a surprise attack that led to Israel's single deadliest day.

Israel's subsequent military assault has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry, displaced almost the whole 2.3 million population and plunged the enclave into a humanitarian crisis.

More than 80% of the territory is now an Israeli-militarized zone or under displacement orders, according to the UN.