US President Donald Trump on Tuesday pressed Hamas to agree to a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, asserting that Israel had already committed to the terms of such a deal. This appeal came as Israeli forces intensified their military operations across the Palestinian territory.
In a social media post, Trump revealed that his representatives had engaged with Israeli officials regarding the ongoing conflict. This meeting preceded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s scheduled 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 declared. He indicated that mediators, specifically representatives from Qatar and Egypt, would present “this final proposal.”
Trump underscored the urgency of the situation for Hamas, stating, “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.” Earlier the same day, Trump had indicated he would be “very firm” with Netanyahu during their July 7 meeting.
The conclusion of Israel’s 12-day conflict with Iran, which followed a US bombing campaign on Tehran’s nuclear facilities, has created a potential opening for a resolution in Gaza. Trump appears keen to add another peace agreement to his recent diplomatic achievements.
However, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza continued unabated. Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that Israeli forces killed at least 26 people on Tuesday. In response to reports of deadly strikes in both the northern and southern parts of the territory, the Israeli army told AFP it was “operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities.”
Separately, the army stated on Tuesday morning that in recent days it had “expanded its operations to additional areas within the Gaza Strip, eliminating dozens of terrorists and dismantling hundreds of terror infrastructure sites both above and below ground.”
Residents on the ground painted a grim picture. Raafat Halles, 39, from Gaza City’s Shujaiya district, observed that “air strikes and shelling have intensified over the past week,” with tanks advancing. He expressed a common sentiment: “I believe that every time negotiations or a potential ceasefire are mentioned, the army escalates crimes and massacres on the ground. I don’t know why.”
AFP photographers documented the deployment of Israeli tanks at the Gaza border in southern Israel and the heartbreaking scene of children sifting through the debris of a destroyed home in Gaza City. Other images captured Palestinians grieving over the bodies of loved ones in Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City and Al-Aqsa hospital in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza.
The humanitarian situation remains dire. The Red Cross issued a stark warning that Gaza’s few operational medical facilities were overwhelmed. Most public hospitals, they noted, were “shut down or gutted by months of hostilities and restrictions” on vital supplies.
“The International Committee of the Red Cross is deeply alarmed by the intensifying hostilities in Gaza City and Jabaliya, which have reportedly caused dozens of deaths and injuries among civilians over the past 36 hours,” the ICRC stated.
Gaza’s civil defense service reported that 16 people were killed near aid distribution sites in central and southern Gaza on Tuesday, part of a series of deadly incidents targeting those seeking food. An additional 10 people died in other Israeli operations. The Israeli military, commenting on these incidents, told AFP its forces “fired warning shots to distance suspects who approached the troops,” adding it was not aware of any injuries but would review the incidents. Regarding a specific event in Rafah, it stated that shots were fired “hundreds of meters (yards) away from the aid distribution site,” which was “not operating.” Due to media restrictions and access difficulties, AFP has been unable to independently verify the casualty figures and details provided by rescuers.
A coalition of 169 aid organizations on Monday urged an end to Gaza’s “deadly” new US- and Israeli-backed aid distribution scheme, which they claimed was contributing to civilian deaths. They advocated for a return to the UN-led aid mechanism that was in place until March, when Israel imposed a full blockade on humanitarian assistance entering Gaza amid stalled truce negotiations with Hamas. The new scheme’s administrator, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), has distanced itself from reports of aid seekers being killed near its centers.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu confirmed his visit to Trump and senior US security officials next week, facing increasing pressure to halt the devastating fighting in Gaza and secure the release of remaining hostages. Trump, during a visit to a migrant detention center in Florida, commented that Netanyahu “wants to end it too.”
On the Hamas side, official Taher al-Nunu told AFP that 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.” He concluded, “So far, there has been no breakthrough.”
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