Israel has accepted Trump’s Gaza ceasefire proposal, says foreign minister

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Monday that Israel has accepted US President Donald Trump’s proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Speaking at a press conference with his Hungarian counterpart in Budapest, Saar said that Israel was ready to accept a full deal ending the war that would include the release of hostages and Hamas laying down its arms, according to Reuters.

Saar’s remarks came after Trump on Sunday said that Israel has accepted his terms and he was issuing last warning to Hamas.

“Everyone wants the hostages home. Everyone wants this war to end! The Israelis have accepted my terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well. I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning. There will not be another one!” said Trump on Truth Social.

Neither Saar nor Trump offered any detail of the terms of the proposal they mentioned.

However, Axios reported on Sunday that Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Special Envoy for Middle East, has sent a new proposal to Hamas that seeks the release of all 48 remaining hostages in exchange for a ceasefire in Gaza and the end of the Israeli operation to occupy Gaza. The proposal also involves Israel releasing 2,500-3,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including hundreds serving life sentences for killing Israelis.

What’s inside Trump’s latest proposal?

Once a ceasefire is reached under Trump’s proposal, negotiations would immediately start on the conditions for ending the war, including Israel’s demands for Hamas’ disarmament and Hamas’ demand for a final and complete withdrawal of the Israeli military, according to Axios.

If Hamas responds positively to the proposal, Trump would actively work to end the war and the ceasefire would continue as long as negotiations on the terms for the war’s go on, the report said.

In case of Hamas’ negative response, the alternative would be a large-scale Israeli operation in Gaza, the report said.

The proposal was a result of a meeting between Trump and Witkoff on the sidelines of golf on August 31, the report said.

In that meeting, Trump ordered Witkoff to work towards a deal to end the war in Gaza and release all remaining hostages and, as a result, Witkoff roped in Palestinian-American businessman Bishara Bahbah, who has worked a backchannel in talks with Hamas for many years, to tell the group that if they release all the hostages, Trump will make sure the war ends, the report said.