The White House announced Thursday that Israel has accepted a ceasefire proposal drafted by U.S. President Donald Trump and his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, as the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas continues to review the terms amid Gaza’s deepening humanitarian catastrophe.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the proposal—developed in close coordination with Israel—was delivered to Hamas after receiving Israeli approval. “Special envoy Witkoff and the president submitted a ceasefire proposal to Hamas, that Israel backed and supported,” Leavitt stated. She expressed hope that the deal would secure the release of Israeli hostages, but made no mention of the thousands of Palestinian prisoners, many held without charge, languishing in Israeli jails.

The ceasefire proposal comes after months of unrelenting Israeli military attacks that have killed over 35,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, and displaced more than a million. Entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble, hospitals destroyed, and Gaza’s infrastructure crippled under Israel’s ongoing blockade and siege—conditions the international community has increasingly condemned as collective punishment and possible war crimes.

Hamas has yet to issue a formal response, but has confirmed it is carefully evaluating the proposal. Critics of the U.S.-led process argue that the deal was crafted without meaningful Palestinian participation and fails to address the core issues driving the conflict, including occupation, blockade, and the denial of Palestinian rights.

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce expressed guarded optimism about the deal, stating, “We do believe that it has some significant promise.” Media reports from Saudi Arabia and Israel have speculated the proposal may include a 60-day ceasefire, though Leavitt refused to confirm any specifics, saying only that any official announcement would come from the White House.

Palestinian leaders and human rights groups have warned that any ceasefire not tied to broader political solutions risks prolonging the cycle of violence. They insist that any deal must include an end to the Israeli occupation, the lifting of the 17-year blockade on Gaza, and concrete support for reconstruction efforts.

“The people of Gaza need more than a pause in the bombing—they need their freedom, their dignity, and their land back,” said a spokesperson for a Palestinian civil society coalition.

As the enclave continues to suffer under siege and daily bombardment, pressure is mounting on the international community to shift from short-term ceasefires toward a just and permanent resolution that centers Palestinian rights, liberation, and justice. (ILKHA)