"Ceasefire in Gaza Likely Within a Week, Aid Will Be Delivered" – President Donald Trump
[Washington, June 28, 2025]
President Donald Trump said on Friday that a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas could be reached “within the next week.”
In response to questions from reporters, Trump stated:
“I think it’s very close. We believe we’ll have a ceasefire agreement within the next week.”
For several weeks, the Trump administration has been pushing for a pause in the fighting between Israel and Hamas, though no deal has been finalized yet. Neither Israel nor Hamas has publicly confirmed that a breakthrough is imminent.
60-Day Ceasefire Proposal
Late last month, Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, proposed a 60-day ceasefire. According to the proposal, Hamas would return 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 deceased hostages abducted during the October 2023 attack.
In exchange, Israel would release:
-
125 prisoners serving life sentences,
-
1,111 detained Palestinians,
-
and the bodies of 180 deceased Palestinians.
While Israel accepted the proposal, Hamas responded with “comments and amendments.” On May 31, Witkoff wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that Hamas’s response was “completely unacceptable.”
Background of the Gaza War
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and abducting around 250. While some hostages have since been released, many remain in captivity.
In response, Israel launched a ground and air campaign in Gaza, resulting in over 56,000 deaths, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry.
Since October 2023, Israel and Hamas have agreed to two ceasefires and hostage exchanges. The most recent 60-day ceasefire ended in mid-March, after which hostilities resumed.
Netanyahu’s Position and Pressure from Hostage Families
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under growing pressure from the families of hostages, who are urging a deal to secure their relatives’ release. However, last month Netanyahu stated, “The war will not end until Hamas is destroyed,” though he left open the possibility of a “temporary pause” for hostage release.
Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
Meanwhile, a U.S.- and Israeli-backed NGO, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, began distributing food aid in Gaza earlier this month. However, reports of Israeli troops firing near aid distribution centers have sparked controversy. The head of the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency described the situation as a “death trap,” although the organization defended its operations.
Trump remarked on Friday,
“We now have a pretty good supply system in place.”
Iran-Israel Ceasefire Holding
Separately, a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, which took effect on Tuesday, is still holding. This agreement marked the end of over a week of hostilities between the two nations.
