Hamas agrees to latest ceasefire proposal after Trump signals full support for Israel's planned Gaza offensive

Israel on Monday received a positive response from Hamas to the latest proposal for a ceasefire deal that was presented by the mediators, Israeli sources told media outlets in the evening.

The terror group transmitted its response following a meeting between its representatives with the Qatari Prime Minister and senior Egyptian officials in Cairo earlier on Monday.

According to media reports, the proposal would necessitate further Israeli concessions, including on the number of prisoners serving long or life sentences that would be freed.

Since the negotiations in the past weeks were mainly conducted between the mediators and Hamas, it is unclear whether Israel has approved the proposal that was sent to the terror group.

Responding to the reports, an unnamed political source told Israeli news outlets: "Israel's position has not changed – [it demands] the release of all the hostages and fulfillment of the other conditions defined for ending the war."

The reports that Hamas had decided to return to the negotiating table followed several hours after U.S. President Donald Trump had affirmed, in a post on 𝕏, his support for the Israeli government’s plans for a new Gaza offensive .

“We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!! The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be,” Trump wrote.

The Israeli cabinet decided last week to instruct the military to capture Gaza City and several nearby areas, effectively establishing Israel’s control of the entire enclave. This followed the collapse of negotiations after Hamas continuously raised new conditions for a ceasefire deal.

“Remember, I was the one who negotiated and got hundreds of hostages freed and released into Israel (and America!),” Trump added.

“I was the one who ended 6 wars, in just 6 months. I was the one who OBLITERATED Iran’s Nuclear facilities. Play to WIN, or don’t play at all!”

In the evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a short video in which he didn’t deny that negotiations were advancing but also didn’t rule out a “partial” deal that would free only some of the remaining hostages, as parts of his coalition have been demanding for weeks.

Netanyahu only noted that “Hamas is under immense pressure,” adding that he discussed the plans for the offensive with the Defense Minister and the Chief of Staff.

After praising the soldiers’ determination to “complete the defeat of Hamas” and secure the release of the hostages, Netanyahu reiterated, “Like you, I hear the reports in the media – and from them, you can conclude one thing: Hamas is under immense pressure.”

Netanyahu has been pressured National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to fully commit to the planned offensive and to rule out any deal that would not include the defeat of Hamas and an end to the war.

According to Palestinian reports, the new proposal is another partial deal that would see 10 living hostages released in exchange for 140 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences, 60 prisoners sentenced to over 15 years, and all female and minor prisoners.

In exchange for each body of a killed hostage, Israel would need to release 10 bodies of terrorists.

In addition, Hamas is demanding changes to the IDF’s presence in the strip, including the withdrawal of troops to a 1,000-meter (0.6 miles) perimeter in the north and east of the Gaza Strip, including Shejaiya and Beit Lahia, which are suburbs of Gaza City.

The number of released prisoners and the depth of the perimeter are both compromise positions, lying between Hamas's and Israel's last demands.

Hamas also wants the UN and the Red Crescent to deliver aid, including fuel, water, electricity, hospital reconstruction materials, and equipment for clearing rubble as soon as the agreement takes effect.

Defense Minister Israel Katz concurred with Netanyahu in a short statement: “Hamas is willing to discuss a deal only because they are afraid that we seriously intend to conquer Gaza City.”

Ben Gvir quickly came out against a potential new deal stating, “If Netanyahu surrenders to Hamas and stops the war, it will be a tragedy for generations and a huge missed opportunity.”

“Last time, the Prime Minister missed President Trump's ultimatum, which demanded the release of all hostages or 'open the gates of hell', even though I warned that it was a historic mistake. We now have an opportunity to defeat Hamas, and I say to the Prime Minister: You have no mandate to go for a partial deal and not to defeat Hamas.”

The Tikvah Forum, a group representing hostage families that is more hawkish than the left-leaning Hostage Forum, stated, “Disgrace. If the Israeli government surrenders to Hamas and, despite everything, agrees to a partial deal, there is no nicer way to say it – it is a disgrace.”

“For months, Hamas has been deceiving us and stalling for time. The State of Israel must not give in to them again. While the President of the United States understands and clearly states what must be done, the Prime Minister is afraid and is acting irresponsibly.”

However, a source familiar with the details of the negotiations told Channel 12: “Hamas has now agreed to the deal because it is trying to prevent the entry of IDF forces into Gaza City.”

“After Trump’s statement about the destruction of Hamas, it is uncertain whether Israel will agree to a partial deal – even under the Witkoff framework that had been approved in the past.”