A PROPOSED ceasefire framework pushed by US President Donald Trump, touted as the ‘final proposal’ for ending Israel’s war on Gaza, would still allow Israel to resume its military campaign after an initial 60-day truce, raising deep concerns among Palestinian negotiators.
Despite slight changes in language, Hamas officials say the draft largely repackages previous US-Israeli terms, offering no guarantees of a permanent end to the genocide in Gaza.
A Hamas official told US-Based Drop Site News that the plan consists of mostly ‘rhetorical changes’ and accused Trump of playing a central role in ‘Israel’s deception operation’.
The official confirmed that while the language had been revised to appear more conciliatory, the fundamental structure remained the same: Israel would retain significant military presence in Gaza, humanitarian aid would remain conditional, and no binding commitment would be made to halt Israel’s war permanently.
Under the new draft, eight living Israeli captives would be released on the first day of the ceasefire, with two more on day 50.
In return, Palestinian prisoners would be freed in staggered batches.
Hamas expressed fears that Israel, having retrieved its captives, would resume its attacks.
‘No guarantee to end the war,’ the Hamas official said, pointing to the document’s failure to include written assurances that the US would prevent renewed Israeli aggression.
The proposal, delivered to Hamas in Arabic, states: ‘President Trump is committed to work to guarantee the continuation of negotiations with goodwill.’
The agreement would see aid deliveries begin immediately through ‘agreed channels’ such as the UN and Red Crescent, though Hamas criticised the lack of clear terms governing this aid.
The vague language, they said, permits Israel to treat food and medicine as tools of political leverage.
There is no reference to the US-Israeli ‘aid’ scheme operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, under whose watch over 700 Palestinians have been killed in so-called ‘aid massacres’ since May.
Trump, posting on Truth Social, wrote: ‘Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalise the 60-Day CEASEFIRE … 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.’
In an official statement, Hamas struck a diplomatic tone, acknowledging that regional mediators are ‘exerting intensive efforts to bridge the gap’ and confirming that consultations were ongoing.
A Hamas delegation is currently in Cairo for discussions, with reports suggesting that Israel may soon send its own representatives to Egypt or Qatar.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar remarked there were ‘some positive signs’ emerging from the talks.
However, Palestinian sources warn that media leaks, including contradictory reports from Hebrew, American, and Arab outlets, are part of a coordinated campaign of psychological pressure.
‘They are studying it, so no decision, no consultation, nothing has been done,’ a source close to the negotiations said.
The core Hamas demand, an unequivocal commitment to a permanent ceasefire and complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, remains unmet.
Despite claims from Qatari and Egyptian mediators that Trump wishes to end the war, the US has refused to enshrine those assurances in writing.
The proposal states only that ‘negotiations will begin under the auspices of the mediators’ on arrangements for a ceasefire, the redeployment of Israeli forces, and post-war governance.
Negotiations for a permanent ceasefire are to be concluded within the 60-day truce period, though the draft allows for extensions.
Yet the text provides Israel with ample opportunity to resume its war should it claim that talks have failed.
Palestinian negotiators argue this effectively grants Israel permission to restart its campaign of genocide at will.
In private, Hamas officials remain sceptical of US intentions.
Even during the January truce, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly admitted he had ‘side’ agreements with both Trump and former President Biden authorising him to resume attacks if deemed necessary.
Israel’s Channel 14 reported this week that the current deal may again include a secret letter from Trump allowing a renewed military assault should Hamas not meet Israeli demands for disarmament and exile of its leaders.
Netanyahu has openly rejected the idea of a negotiated end to the war.
Last Wednesday, he declared: ‘We’ll not end the war before we eliminate Hamas … That’s something Trump is saying as well – to stop the war on our own terms – meaning when there is no Hamas, there is victory.’
Far-right Knesset member Zvi Sukkot praised Trump’s alignment with Israel, saying recent proposals show that Trump has ‘fully supported Israel’s agenda in Gaza’.
At a cabinet meeting this week, Netanyahu vowed Hamas ‘will remain there? Over my dead body … We have to kill anyone who is holding a weapon.’
Defence Minister Israel Katz echoed this during a visit to Rafah: ‘To kill the enemy, bring the hostages home and win – that is our mission.’
Nevertheless, Israel’s military chief Eyal Zamir told the security cabinet that Israel’s main military objectives in Gaza had already been achieved, suggesting room for a ‘victory’ narrative to justify a ceasefire. A
Analysts such as Ha’aretz’s Amos Harel say Netanyahu may be trying to placate the US while blaming Hamas for any collapse in talks, all while keeping his far-right coalition partners satisfied.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel to the region to finalise terms and ‘chair the negotiations’.
Despite the show of diplomatic effort, key details remain dangerously vague. Israeli forces would not be required to fully withdraw.
The draft suggests partial redeployments, based on maps yet to be agreed upon. Israeli control of the Philadelphi Corridor, the last border crossing independent of Israeli oversight, has not been addressed beyond vague references.
Egypt has raised concerns, but Hamas has insisted any long-term deal must include full withdrawal.
The United Nations reports that 85% of Gaza’s territory is now either under forced displacement or classified as military zones.
During the previous ceasefire period, Israel violated the agreement nearly every day, killing over 150 Palestinians before abandoning the truce entirely.
The current proposal repeats earlier prisoner swap terms.
Hamas would release ten living Israeli captives, with eight in the first week and two at the end of the truce, along with 18 bodies of deceased Israelis.
In return, Israel would release an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners and return bodies of the deceased.
Hamas insists the staggered release is crucial to preventing Israel from resuming its genocide once it retrieves its captives.
There is also renewed pressure on Hamas from within.
Many of its officials living abroad have lost family members to Israeli bombardments. While deeply aware of their responsibility to the Palestinian cause, they also face the urgent demand for some form of relief.
Mediators have reportedly pushed for Hamas to relinquish administrative control of Gaza, which the group has said it is willing to do.
In previous proposals, Hamas offered to hand governance over to an independent Palestinian committee, but Israel consistently removed this from the draft.
The ongoing talks are a continuation of negotiations first floated in May, when both Hamas and Israel submitted competing proposals.
While some clauses remain the same, Hamas is now expected to submit requests for amendments to the current draft.
A source close to the Palestinian team said that while Hamas may ultimately accept the proposal, it would be a ‘calculated risk’, particularly if Israel decides to break the agreement unilaterally.
Without firm, enforceable guarantees for a permanent ceasefire, full Israeli withdrawal, and control over aid and governance handed to Palestinians, the new framework risks becoming yet another pretext for Israel to temporarily pause, regroup, and resume its war on Gaza.
