1 day ago
6
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.
The U.S. has sent an Israeli-backed cease-fire proposal that would allow the flow of aid into Gaza. Hamas appeared skeptical of the offer.
May 29, 2025, 3:56 p.m. ET
The White House has sent an Israeli-backed cease-fire proposal to Hamas that would allow the flow of aid into Gaza amid growing international pressure to end the fighting and devastation in the territory, according to American and Israeli officials.
President Trump and his envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, submitted the framework to Hamas after Israel signed off on the proposal, according to Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary. An Israeli official familiar with the details said the initial phase of the deal would include a 60-day cease-fire and a flow of aid through U.N.-run operations. Hamas officials stopped short of rejecting the latest proposal but suggested it did not contain strong-enough guarantees on ending the war.
“Those discussions are continuing, and we hope that a cease-fire in Gaza will take place so we can return all of the hostages home,” Ms. Leavitt said during a news briefing at the White House.
A State Department spokeswoman, Tammy Bruce, said that while it was not clear if Hamas would support a cease-fire proposal backed by Israel, there was “some important optimism” among officials about a potential deal, adding that the latest proposal held “significant promise.”
But it remained to be seen whether the new proposal could resolve the main sticking point between the two sides. Israel is insisting on having the option to resume fighting if Hamas does not surrender and disarm. Hamas is demanding firm guarantees that a temporary cease-fire would lead to a permanent cessation of hostilities and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
After 18 months of war, any pause in the fighting would come as the international community, including allies of Israel, has grown increasingly impatient with efforts to wind down the military assault in Gaza. Germany, Italy, Britain, Canada and France have in recent weeks criticized both Israel’s decision to expand military operations in Gaza and the civilian death toll in the strip.
