Chicago – August 18, 2025
Hamas has agreed to a 60-day ceasefire proposal with Israel, which includes the release of half of the hostages held in Gaza, as well as the release of some Palestinian prisoners by Israel. This agreement was confirmed by an Egyptian official source on Monday.
Basem Naim, a senior Hamas official, also confirmed the approval of the proposal on Facebook, stating, “The movement has handed over its approval to the new proposal presented by the mediators.” While there has been no official statement from Israel yet, Israeli media reported that Hamas had responded positively to the proposal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the situation, saying in a video message, “I, like you, hear the reports in the media, and from them you can get one impression – Hamas is under immense pressure.”
According to the Egyptian official source, the ceasefire agreement includes a 60-day suspension of Israeli military operations and sets the groundwork for a broader agreement to end the nearly two-year conflict. Sources close to the negotiations mentioned that this proposal closely resembles an earlier plan put forward by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, which Israel had already accepted.
Mediators met with Hamas representatives in Cairo on Sunday, and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani joined the talks on Monday, meeting with both Egyptian President el-Sisi and Hamas representatives.
In Israel, there has been growing concern about the plans to take control of Gaza City. Thousands of Israelis protested on Sunday, calling for an end to the war and the release of the remaining hostages. Reports indicate that Israel’s military had advanced tanks into Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood late on Monday, as part of their plan to seize control of the area.
Despite these developments, Israel has kept the door open for a ceasefire, even though Netanyahu had previously stated that military operations would begin soon with the goal of defeating Hamas.
