Trump’s “Final Proposal

 Trump’s “Final Proposal”: Can a 60‑Day Gaza Truce End a 21‑Month War?https://hoorayattract.com/z7kz0u0ajr?key=a74cba4ee26228744b24a4e1171ccb72

5 July 2025

By 24H NEWS AMERICA 

U.S. President Donald Trump has put forward what he calls a “final proposal” for a 60‑day ceasefire in the Israel‑Hamas war and says he expects answers “within hours.” Hamas has already delivered a reply “in a positive spirit,” while Israel’s government is still weighing its response. The flurry of diplomatic telegrams marks the most serious push for a sustained truce since hostilities reignited in March.reuters.comaljazeera.com

How the War Reached This Point

The conflict began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas fighters breached the Gaza perimeter, killing about 1,200 Israelis—most of them civilians—and abducting 251 more. Israel retaliated with an intense air‑and‑ground campaign that has since killed more than 57,000 Palestinians and wounded over 130,000, according to Gaza’s health ministry.https://hoorayattract.com/xy28iec0c9?key=3853b4008ceb377b9c0764ef29081bf3

A six‑week truce brokered in January 2025 collapsed on 18 March, after an Israeli strike in Rafah killed hundreds, triggering the war’s bloodiest phase and pushing Gaza toward famine, according to U.N. officials.abcnews.go.com

Anatomy of the “Final Proposal”

The text circulated by Qatari and Egyptian mediators lays out a two‑month humanitarian truce guaranteed by Washington.

1. Hostage and prisoner exchanges – Hamas would free 10 living Israeli captives and return the remains of 18 deceased hostages over five instalments (days 1, 7, 30, 50 and 60); Israel would release an as‑yet‑unspecified number of Palestinian detainees.

2. 
   

Humanitarian surge – Aid volumes matching or exceeding January’s ceasefire would begin flowing into Gaza immediately after the deal is signed, with the U.N. and the Palestine Red Crescent in charge of distribution.

3-Pause in military activity – All Israeli offensive operations would stop; surveillance flights would be limited to 14 hours daily, dropping to 12 hours on exchange days.

4-Permanent‑ceasefire talks – Formal negotiations on troop withdrawals, security arrangements and Gaza’s governance would start on day 1 under U.S., Egyptian and Qatari mediation.

5-Enforcement mechanism – A U.S.‑chaired committee would adjudicate violations. A side letter reportedly allows Israel to “renew the fire” if Hamas breaches key terms—an annex critics say could hollow out the deal.

White House officials, led by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, describe the document as “the last viable off‑ramp before an even darker chapter.”

Hamas’s Calculus: Between Survival and Popular Pressure

Hamas’s statement welcoming the framework reflects three realities: mounting battlefield losses, the desperation of Gaza’s displaced population, and quiet pressure from regional patrons who are tying future reconstruction funds to a truce. Still, the movement wants cast‑iron guarantees that the 60‑day pause will evolve into a permanent ceasefire and that Israeli troops will withdraw fully—clauses Washington left deliberately vague.

Israel’s Domestic Cross‑Currents

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads to Washington on 7 July under duelling pressures: hostage families demonstrating outside the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv demand he “make the deal,” while right‑wing coalition partners threaten to bolt if Hamas is not disarmed first.

Israeli officials are quietly seeking a written U.S. assurance that they may resume operations if Hamas drags its feet on disarmament—language Palestinians fear would turn the truce into a trap.

The Mediators and the Wider Map

• Egypt hopes the ceasefire will stop the conflict spilling into Sinai.

• Qatar juggles its role as Hamas’s main financial backer with its desire to remain a key U.S. ally.

• The European Union has pledged an immediate €1 billion humanitarian package once the guns fall silent.
  U.N. Secretary‑General António Guterres welcomed Hamas’s “initially constructive reply” but noted that the real test is implementation amid Gaza’s shattered infrastructure.

Obstacles That Could Still Derail the Deal

1. Sequence of releases – Israel wants soldiers’ remains first; Hamas insists on women and minors.

2. Timetable for Israeli withdrawal – The draft says “phased” but sets no dates.

3. Monitoring force – Neither side will accept U.N. peacekeepers; the current idea of U.S. drones and liaison officers satisfies neither military.

4. Post‑war governance – Washington proposes a “revitalised” Palestinian Authority; both Israelis and Gazans remain unconvinced.

Humanitarian Stakes

Every day of delay magnifies the crisis. Main hospitals run at 20 percent capacity; water production is down 70 percent; and the World Food Programme warns that one in three children under five is acutely malnourished. Israeli strikes killed 138 Palestinians in the past 24 hours alone, Gaza health officials say.

Even a 60‑day pause could restore routine vaccinations, triple daily aid‑truck entries, and restart desalination plants that would add 50 million litres of potable water each day. But donors will hesitate to fund large‑scale relief unless they believe the guns will stay silent beyond day 60 

Washington’s Diplomatic Gamble

For President Trump, whose second‑term mantra is “America the Arbiter,” the ceasefire bid is as much about legacy as diplomacy. Republicans laud his tough language toward Hamas but caution against “hostage diplomacy,” while Democrats warn he is giving Israel a blank cheque. Abroad, allies judge U.S. credibility—strained by wars in Ukraine and the South China Sea—on whether Washington can enforce restraint on a close partner. The administration hints that success could unlock Saudi‑Israeli normalization talks and broader regional missile‑defence cooperation; critics fear Gazans will become bargaining chips in great‑power politics.

What Happens Next?

• Within 48 hours – Mediators aim to secure written acceptance from both parties.

• Day 1 of the truce – Eight live hostages and two bodies are to be released; Israel is expected to free at least 150 Palestinian prisoners.

• Days 7–60 – Humanitarian convoys expand; negotiations on a lasting peace begin.

• After Day 60 – If mediators judge “substantial progress,” the ceasefire extends automatically; if not, war could resume.

Conclusion: A Narrow Window

Ceasefires in this conflict have often been measured in minutes. Trump’s 60‑day proposal hands both sides a rare chance to step back from the brink, reduce immense human suffering and sketch a political horizon that has eluded negotiators for decades. Whether the leaders seize—or squander—this moment will shape not only Gaza’s scarred landscape but the wider Middle East for years to come. As one hostage advocate put it while holding a placard outside the U.S. Embassy: “Sixty days is a lifetime for those still underground. Let’s not waste a single hour.”