"White House Expects Gaza War Ceasefire Deal Soon"

Hamas Agrees to "General Framework" of U.S. Proposal
Disagreements Remain Over Hostage Release

According to the U.S. online media outlet Axios, citing sources involved in the negotiations, the Donald Trump administration is optimistic that a ceasefire and hostage deal in the Gaza war will be reached soon.

One source told Axios, "If both sides (Israel and Hamas) make even slight concessions, an agreement could be reached within days."

People gathered to receive relief supplies in the Gaza Strip on the 28th (local time). Photo by AFP

According to Russia's Sputnik News Agency, Hamas announced on this day that it had accepted the ceasefire proposal from White House Middle East envoy Steven Witkoff, stating that "a general framework for achieving a permanent ceasefire has been agreed upon."

Hamas explained that Witkoff's proposal includes a plan in which Hamas would release 10 hostages and return the remains of deceased hostages, and in return, Israel would release a certain number of Palestinian prisoners. The plan also includes the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.

However, Israel's position on this proposal has not been disclosed.

Over the past two weeks, Steve Witkoff, the White House Middle East envoy, has been negotiating with Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, through Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his close aide Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, and Palestinian-American businessman Bishara Bahbah.

After the talks, there were reports on the 26th that Hamas had agreed to a U.S. proposal for a 60-day ceasefire and the phased release of 10 hostages, but these reports turned out to be false.

Axios, citing sources, explained that this incident occurred because Hamas, Israel, and the United States each interpreted the ongoing negotiation proposal differently, and that negotiations resumed the following day. Witkoff met with Ron Dermer in Washington, while Bahbah held additional meetings with senior Hamas officials in Doha.

However, Axios reported that differences remain unresolved regarding the release of hostages. Israel wants all 10 hostages to be released at once due to concerns that Hamas may not keep its promises. In contrast, Hamas wants to release the hostages in stages to prevent Israel from unilaterally breaking the ceasefire agreement.

A senior Israeli official told Axios, "There is little room left to adjust the wording," adding, "At this point, the hope is that Hamas will be pressured to compromise on guarantees, and that Prime Minister Netanyahu will compromise on the schedule for the release of hostages."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.