Trump Signals Gaza Ceasefire Deal Nears as Israeli Strikes Kill 138 Palestinians

July 5, 2025 – President Donald Trump announced on Friday that negotiations for a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas are at a critical juncture, stating, “We’ll see what happens – we are going to know over the next 24 hours.” The statement comes amidst intensified Israeli military strikes in Gaza, which killed at least 138 Palestinians, including over 60 waiting for humanitarian aid, according to Gaza health officials. The strikes, which included an attack on a school sheltering displaced people near al-Shifa hospital, have deepened the humanitarian crisis in the region.

Hamas responded positively to the ceasefire proposal, with a senior official indicating readiness to negotiate but emphasizing demands for a permanent end to the war, a partial Israeli military withdrawal, and the return of UN-led aid distribution. The proposal, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, follows months of efforts by Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, and includes stronger U.S. assurances for ending the conflict. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated that any deal must eliminate Hamas, a condition Hamas rejects, creating a significant hurdle.

The Gaza conflict, sparked by Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages, has led to over 57,000 Palestinian deaths and displaced nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents. Trump, leveraging momentum from a recent Israel-Iran ceasefire, is pushing for a deal ahead of Netanyahu’s White House visit on Monday. Despite cautious optimism, past ceasefires, like one in January 2025 that collapsed in March, have faltered over disagreements on ending the war permanently.