US President Donald Trump urged Iran-backed Hamas militants to agree to what he called a "final proposal" for a 60-day cease-fire with Israel in Gaza.
"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,” he said on July 1 on Truth Social.
Israel has agreed to the conditions to finalize a 60-day cease-fire during which “we will work with all parties to end the War," Trump said.
Representatives for Qatar and Egypt will deliver the proposal to Hamas, Trump said, which followed what he said was a "long and productive" meeting about Gaza between Israeli officials and his representatives.
He did not identify his representatives, but US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Vice President JD Vance had been due on July 1 to meet Ron Dermer, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on June 30 that Trump and administration officials were in constant communication with Israeli leadership and that bringing about an end to the Gaza conflict is a priority for Trump.
“It’s heartbreaking to see the images that have come out from both Israel and Gaza throughout this war, and the president wants to see it end,” Leavitt added. “He wants to save lives.”
The US proposal also calls for the release of half the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the remains of other Palestinians.
Trump told reporters earlier that he is hopeful that a cease-fire-for-hostages agreement can be achieved next week between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza. He is set to meet Netanyahu at the White House on July 7.
Trump told reporters that he would be "very firm" with Netanyahu on the need for a speedy Gaza cease-fire, noting that the Israeli leader wants a cease-fire as well.
"We hope it's going to happen. And we're looking forward to it happening sometime next week," he told reporters. "We want to get the hostages out."
Netanyahu's visit to the White House will be his third since Trump returned to office in January. It follows Trump’s decision to join Israel's war against Iran by attacking Iranian nuclear sites.
After brokering a cease-fire between those two countries, Trump has signaled that he's turning his attention to bringing a close to the fighting between Israel and Hamas.
Hamas has said it is willing to free remaining hostages in Gaza under any deal to end the war, while Israel says it can only end if Hamas is disarmed and dismantled.