Israel Agreed To 60-Day Ceasefire in Gaza: Trump

Washington: US President Donald Trump urged Hamas on Tuesday to accept a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, saying that Israel had agreed to finalize such a deal, as its forces also stepped up operations in the Palestinian territory. Trump, in a post on social media, said his representatives had met with Israeli officials about the raging conflict, ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington next week.

"Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War," Trump wrote. He said representatives of Qatar and Egypt, mediators in the conflict, would deliver "this final proposal." "I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better -- IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE," he added.

Trump earlier on Tuesday said he would be "very firm" with Netanyahu when they meet on July 7. The end of



Israel's 12-day war with Iran -- which followed a US bombing mission on Tehran's nuclear sites -- has provided a window of opportunity for a deal, with Trump keen to add another peace agreement to a series of recent deals he has brokered. Israel's campaign meanwhile continued to rage on, with Gaza's civil defense agency reporting Israeli forces killed at least 26 people on Tuesday.

Netanyahu announced he would visit Trump and senior US security officials next week, amid mounting pressure to end the devastating fighting in Gaza and bring the remaining hostages home. Trump, while visiting a migrant detention center in Florida, said Netanyahu "wants to end it too." Hamas official Taher al-Nunu told AFP the group is "ready to agree to any proposal if it will lead to an end to the war and a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of occupation forces". "So far, there has been no breakthrough."