White House: Israel backs U.S. ceasefire program
The U.S. and Israel are waiting for Hamas to respond to a 60-day Gaza ceasefire proposal, the White House said Thursday.
White House property caput Karoline Leavitt said Israel signed disconnected connected a connection that peculiar envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump submitted, and it's been sent to Hamas. Details of the program person not been released.
"I tin corroborate that peculiar envoy Witkoff and the president submitted a ceasefire connection to Hamas that Israel backed and supported," Leavitt said Thursday. "Israel signed disconnected connected this connection earlier it was sent to Hamas. I tin besides corroborate that those discussions are continuing, and we anticipation that a ceasefire successful Gaza volition instrumentality spot truthful we tin instrumentality each of the hostages home."
Leavitt said Hamas hasn't accepted the deal, to her knowledge, but if determination is simply a deal, the nationalist volition perceive truthful straight from her, Witkoff oregon the president himself. Hamas said successful a statement to The Associated Press that it had received the connection and "is reviewing it responsibly to service the interests of our people, supply them relief, and execute a imperishable ceasefire successful the Gaza Strip."
A root acquainted with the U.S. outreach to Hamas tells CBS News that a woody is close, and erstwhile a effect is received, it volition beryllium transmitted straight to Mr. Trump and Witkoff.
President Trump has expressed optimism precocious that determination would beryllium a deal. Hamas inactive holds 58 hostages, astir one-third of whom are believed to inactive beryllium alive, retired of astir 250 who were taken during the group's violent onslaught connected Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023. The remainder person either been released during earlier pauses successful warring oregon person been confirmed dead.
An earlier two-month ceasefire betwixt Israel and Hamas ended successful March aft the 2 sides failed to hold connected presumption for extending it and Israel resumed strikes connected the Gaza Strip. During that impermanent truce, dozens of hostages were released by Hamas successful speech for Israel freeing immoderate 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said helium was unfastened to a impermanent ceasefire woody to merchandise much hostages, but "there volition beryllium nary mode we volition halt the war" until Hamas is defeated.
Some 1,200 radical were killed successful Hamas' 2023 violent onslaught connected Israel, mostly civilians. Since then, astir 54,000 radical person been killed successful Israel's warfare successful the Gaza Strip, astir of whom are women and children, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, which does not separate betwixt civilian and combatant deaths.
Aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip resumed earlier this month aft a much than two-month blockade. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a arguable caller U.S.- and Israeli-backed assistance group, began distributing food this week.
Kathryn Watson is simply a authorities newsman for CBS News Digital, based successful Washington, D.C.
Margaret Brennan contributed to this report.
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