US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that “Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize” a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

During the prospective two-month truce, “We will work with all parties to end the war,” Trump said in a Truth Social post, summarizing the development that came out of meetings top US officials held on Tuesday in Washington with visiting Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.

Trump said Qatar and Egypt will deliver the “final proposal” to Hamas.

“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,” Trump wrote.

There was no immediate comment from Israeli officials on Trump’s post, which appeared to be referring to a proposal for a temporary ceasefire that has been discussed over the past several months. Those talks have been at an impasse, largely over the terms for what happens at the end of that truce, with Israel demanding that it maintain the ability to resume fighting, while Hamas wants the temporary ceasefire to become permanent.

In declaring that he will “work to end the war,” Trump apparently was trying to appease both sides, mentioning an end to the war without speaking definitively.

Despite the announcement from Trump, an official from one of the Arab mediating countries told The Times of Israel that major hurdles remain and that the sides will still need to hold proximity talks in order to close remaining gaps.

Two Arab diplomats from mediating countries told The Times of Israel that remaining sticking points also include Hamas’s........

© The Times of Israel