The Palestinian armed faction Hamas announced on the 18th (local time) that it accepted the '60-day ceasefire proposal' mediated by Egypt and Qatar. Israel has maintained a cautious stance without issuing an official response, engaging in internal public opinion battles. The United States maintains a hardline position that defeating Hamas completely is a priority, complicating the calculations of the involved countries. Although the war in the Gaza Strip has resulted in over 62,000 deaths over 22 months, it is a precarious situation as the path to a complete ceasefire remains uncertain.
The ceasefire proposal accepted by Hamas this time centers on the exchange of detained hostages and prisoners. Hamas will hand over 10 living hostages and 18 deceased hostage bodies to Israel during the 60-day ceasefire period. In return, Israel will release a significant number of Palestinians currently imprisoned in its jails. This includes 140 people sentenced to life imprisonment and 60 who have been serving long sentences of over 15 years. Bassem Na'im, a senior official in Hamas's political bureau, stated on social media that 'the mediators' new proposal has been accepted.'
Israel refrained from an immediate reaction. An anonymous senior Israeli official told CNN, 'There is no change to the existing principles of the complete release of hostages, disarmament of Hamas, and Israel's security control over the Gaza Strip.' Prime Minister Netanyahu also remarked, 'I have seen the media reports. I have the impression that Hamas is under tremendous pressure.' Experts interpreted this as a political tactic to soothe domestic hardliners, highlighting that Israel's military pressure has ultimately brought Hamas to the negotiation table.
Recently, major Western countries such as France and the United Kingdom have lined up to announce that they will recognize Palestine as a state at the UN General Assembly in September. Since then, Israel has experienced severe political and social divisions internally. Hundreds of thousands of protesters, filling downtown Tel Aviv since the 15th, have raised their voices urging the government to reach an immediate negotiation on the release of hostages. Benny Gantz, former Minister of Defense and a central figure in the Israeli opposition, pressured Prime Minister Netanyahu, saying, 'This is an opportunity to bring the hostages home.' However, the far-right parties, central to the coalition government, are fiercely opposed to the discussion of ceasefire itself. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir asserted, 'Partial agreements are unacceptable,' calling for the complete defeat of Hamas. Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich also urged to 'continue the war until all hostages are brought home.' The defection of the far-right parties could lead to a severe rift shaking Netanyahu's political leadership, with observations suggesting that it could lead to the collapse of the coalition government.
In the midst of this, the United States appears aligned with Israeli hardliners. President Donald Trump clarified his negative stance on resolving matters through negotiations, stating on his social media, 'Hostages will only return when Hamas is destroyed.' U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee went further by criticizing Western nations for attempting to recognize Palestine as an independent state. He argued that 'these moves by European countries have emboldened Hamas, rather than facilitating negotiations.' He claims that granting diplomatic legitimacy to Palestine sends the wrong signal to Hamas, undermining its negotiating power.
As the war drags on, there is an increasing atmosphere of resentment toward Hamas among the people in the Gaza Strip, who are suffering from dire circumstances. Exhausted from extreme destruction and starvation, residents are openly expressing their dissatisfaction with Hamas's governance. According to U.S. Fox News, new schools that deviate from Hamas's ideological education have been established in the eastern Rafah area, starting to teach peace and tolerance. Grassroots movements like 'We want to live' are also emerging. Mukhaimer Abusada, a political analyst in Gaza, conveyed that 'people want Hamas to include other forces in negotiations, such as the Palestinian Authority (PA) or Egypt.' The public sentiment prioritizing survival over ideology is becoming another factor pressing Hamas.
It remains uncertain whether this 60-day ceasefire agreement will lead to a complete end to hostilities. Earlier this year in January, Israel and Hamas had a brief ceasefire, but Israel resumed attacks two months later, violating the ceasefire. This time, as the fundamental differences between the two sides are significant, negotiations for the 'comprehensive agreement' to be held during the ceasefire period are expected to face difficulties from the start. Currently, Hamas is demanding 'written guarantees from the United States' to prevent Israel from resuming attacks after the 60 days. However, Israel firmly stated it cannot make any guarantees before the 'complete disarmament of Hamas.' Experts predict that whether this agreement will be just a temporary breather for greater conflicts will depend on the delicate results of the diplomatic maneuvers in the next 60 days.