The White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt announced on Thursday that Israel has signed the latest Gaza ceasefire proposal put forward by the United States.
Leavitt also mentioned in a White House press briefing that after Israel signed the proposal, President Trump and his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff sent the proposal to the Palestinian armed group Hamas.
“I can confirm that these discussions are ongoing, and we hope for a ceasefire in Gaza so that we can bring all hostages back home. This has been a priority of this administration from the beginning,” she said.
When asked if Hamas had accepted the proposal, she replied, “Not to my knowledge.”
Hamas stated on Thursday that they are reviewing the new proposal put forth by the United States and will “study it responsibly to meet the interests of our people, provide relief, and achieve a permanent ceasefire.”
According to Israeli officials speaking to CNN, the proposal requests Hamas to release 10 living hostages, return the bodies of 18 deceased hostages, and implement a 60-day ceasefire. The officials did not disclose when negotiations for a permanent end to the conflict would start, which is a key demand from Hamas that Israel has rejected.
As reported by the Forum for Hostages and Missing Persons’ Families, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier on Thursday informed the families of the hostages that he had accepted the new proposal from the United States.
Hamas senior official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that the organization is still discussing the proposal. However, Zuhri stated that the terms of the proposal align with Israel’s position and do not include Hamas’s demands for ending the conflict, withdrawing Israeli forces, or aid commitments.
Serious disagreements between Hamas and Israel have impeded previous efforts to restore a ceasefire, with the last ceasefire lasting only two months before collapsing in March this year.
Israel insists that Hamas must completely disarm, dissolve its military and governing structures, and release all 58 hostages still detained in Gaza before agreeing to end the conflict.
However, Hamas refuses to relinquish weapons and demands that Israel withdraw from Gaza and commit to ending the conflict.