Jerusalem/Gaza, May 30 – Israel has accepted a U.S.-brokered ceasefire proposal for the Gaza Strip that would halt fighting for 60 days and restore United Nations-led aid distribution to the besieged enclave, Israeli officials said on Thursday.
The proposal, presented by U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, was approved by Israel before being shared with Hamas, according to two Israeli officials familiar with the matter. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Israel’s approval but declined to provide details of the plan.
Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the United States and other countries, criticized the proposal as one-sided but has yet to issue an official response.
The proposed truce includes the release of 10 live hostages held by Hamas and the return of the remains of 18 individuals who died in captivity, the Israeli officials said. In return, Israel has agreed to resume humanitarian deliveries and allow the UN to oversee aid distribution—reversing a previous decision to replace the UN with a privately managed system.
Aid deliveries had resumed earlier this week following an 11-week blockade. A new nonprofit, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), had begun distributing limited quantities of aid but has faced reports of mismanagement and disorganization.
The U.S. plan also outlines a path toward negotiating a permanent end to hostilities during the ceasefire period. The conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters launched a cross-border assault into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.
Since then, more than 54,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry, which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians. Israel says it has lost more than 400 soldiers in the fighting.
Despite the proposal’s aims, it remains unclear whether it can bridge the gap between the warring sides. Hamas has reiterated its demand for a full Israeli withdrawal and a permanent end to the war. Israel, in turn, insists on the disarmament and dismantling of Hamas.
Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, dismissed the plan in a Facebook post on Thursday, calling it an Israeli initiative designed to prolong the occupation of Gaza.
