Trump may make a personal pledge to end the war in Gaza.

Washington - Saeed Erekat

As the United States, Israel, and mediators await Hamas's response on Friday to the latest proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli prisoners, US President Donald Trump reportedly gave the Palestinian movement a direct assurance that he remains committed to ending the war in the Strip, which has been ongoing since October 2023.

Israel is reportedly under intense US pressure to reach a ceasefire agreement before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington next Monday for talks with Trump next week. Sources have indicated in recent days that both sides have shown flexibility on all issues, but remain stuck on the issue of ending the war, with Israel insisting it can resume operations in Gaza, while Hamas insists that any agreement must permanently end the war.

According to Israel's Channel 12 News, Trump will commit "that negotiations on the terms of ending the war will continue even after a temporary ceasefire, and that I will do my utmost to help the two sides reach an agreement on the terms of a permanent ceasefire."

According to leaked information, Trump's message to Hamas is that if it agrees to the so-called Witkoff Framework—which includes the release of 10 live hostages in two phases and 18 bodies in three phases over the course of a 60-day ceasefire—the United States will ensure continued efforts to achieve a permanent end to the conflict. Hamas announced Friday morning that it is discussing the US-backed ceasefire proposal with other Palestinian factions and will submit its response to mediators immediately after the talks conclude.

This statement came after unconfirmed reports from Hamas-affiliated media outlets claiming that the movement had provided a "positive response" to the proposal.

Hamas is expected to respond to the offer by Friday evening.

Israel's Channel 13 quoted a senior Israeli official as saying, "If Hamas responds positively, a deal could be concluded by next week."

Both Kan public radio and Channel 12 reported that if Hamas responds positively, an Israeli negotiating team will soon travel to Doha, Qatar, for mediated talks aimed at resolving the final points of contention. These include the Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza during the ceasefire.

Netanyahu held a meeting with a small group of ministers on Thursday evening to discuss the terms of a potential deal. The 60-day agreement is expected to see the release of five dead and living prisoners. Channel 13 reported that on the first day, eight living prisoners will be released; on the seventh day, five bodies; on the 30th, five more bodies; on the 50th, two living hostages; and on the final day, eight more bodies.

Various media outlets reported similar terms for the deal, with Hamas reportedly agreeing to forgo a public hostage release ceremony, and Israel reportedly agreeing to postpone the resumption of military operations as long as talks on ending the war continue.

Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said on Thursday that he hopes the ceasefire and hostage release agreement being negotiated is a "done deal," but whether it reaches the finish line is ultimately up to Hamas.

"Let's hope they understand that it's time to end this... and the reason it didn't happen sooner is because Hamas wasn't willing to give up its hold on these hostages," Huckabee said in an interview with Channel 12.

He also insisted that "Hamas has no future in Gaza."