Aug. 8—After media efforts to sabotage a new and urgent effort by President Donald Trump and his Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to end the bloody, genocidal slaughter in Gaza and return all the hostages held by Hamas, dead and alive, sources close to the White House report that they have indications that Hamas will agree to the terms of the new American plan.
Hamas officials, who had been prodded by the media to respond to what had been more than a week of backchannel discussions with the Administration through intermediaries, had initially denied that there were any "direct" negotiations going on with the Trump administration, and that they had received no new American plan—the former being technically correct, while the latter was a lie. This morning those same officials said that they are in receipt of the Trump plan and were studying it.
A Final Warning from Trump
In statements to the media yesterday, Trump said that he had issued his last warning and urged them to accept the deal on the table. “We’re working on a solution that may be very good,” he told reporters. He declined to give further details. “You’ll be hearing about it pretty soon. We’re trying to get it ended, get the hostages back.”
“The Israelis have accepted my Terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning, there will not be another one!”
Hamas later said that it received some ideas from the United States’ side through mediators to reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza and was discussing ways to develop those ideas. It also gave no details of the possible agreement. The Israelis have said they have not been formally presented with a plan, but other sources say that have been given was sent to Hamas.
Terms of the Proposed Agreement
Hamas, in its statement, also reiterated its readiness for negotiations to release all hostages in exchange for a “clear announcement of an end to the war” and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the enclave.
According to the sources close to the White House, Hamas has sent positive signals back to Trump about agreeing to basic terms that have been presented: That includes the immediate release of all hostages—the 20 who are thought to be living and the 28 who are dead-- in exchange for the release of thousands of Palestinians detained or jailed by the Israelis, including hundreds serving life sentences for "terrorist acts; it also includes a total and immediate ceasefire, that would end the threat from the Butcher of Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu to go ahead with his planned attack on Gaza City. There would be a statement of the intention of both parties to end the war, and resolve all remaining issues through negotiations, and that the ceasefire would hold until all issues are resolved in serious talks, that the mediators—the Americans, Qatar and Egypt—would steer towards a result. The American President would personally guarantee that the war would end, and that Israel would, under a plan to be discussed, withdraw from Gaza. Hamas would lay down its arms and relinquish control of Gaza to and Arab civilian government, whose members would be negotiated, but with no Hamas participation.
The sources say that with the implementation of this agreement, Israel will not longer restrict or hinder the entry of humanitarian aid to the starving and sick and wounded Gazans, and that this aid would be distributed by competent international agencies, such as the UN and Red Crescent, with the Americans having overall responsibility for the program and its proper administration. There was no reference to the deadly and incompetent efforts administered currently by the American and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF); one source said that their operations would be taken over by competent agencies.
Trump’s Leverage Over Netanyahu
The key to this program and Hamas acceptance is the personal guarantee of Trump that it means the end of the war. The sources say that Trump and Witkoff believe that Hamas wants to end the slaughter, but that they are not sure that Bibi does. "This is Trump's plan, an American plan," said one source. "Trump wants Bibi to accept his authority here. What will also be discussed in negotiation is the plan for Gaza's redevelopment. Trump has come to understand that this cannot involve the relocation of Gazans. The plan needs to be discussed, but not with Hamas. It needs to be discussed with what comes after Hamas. By Bibi insisting on killing more people, you will never get to peace."
Trump knows, the source said, "and Witkoff reinforces this, that to end the war, you have to be willing to abandon Bibi to his just political fate. Keeping his government in place is not possible if the war is to end. But Trump has the power in Israel to force his will on the government, which has lost its moral fitness to survive in the eyes of the world and most Israelis. This time, Trump is not willing to accept Bibi's sabotage of an end to the killing. That's what is being said. Let's see if he has the guts to do what he is saying and force a deal."
Military Pressure and Hostage Families’ Response
This and other sources say that Bibi has been able to survive also in part do the stupidity of Hamas, which has little real support among Gazans. In the past, they have refused to accept deal terms, enabling Bibi to blame them for blocking peace, which he neither supports nor wants.
Things will be moving fast now, as Trump is intent on blocking Bibi's new slaughter in Gaza City. The White House sources say the Administration has made sure that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) leadership has been briefed on the peace push. The IDF leadership has contradicted Bibi's claim of a quick and violent defeat of Hamas in the offensive and had urged the government to accept the 60-day ceasefire and partial hostage release deal that was accepted by Hamas three weeks ago, and which the Israeli government has yet to respond to. The IDF leadership, including its chief. Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, has told the hostage families that they believe the push to occupy Gaza City puts the lives of the living hostages in danger.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum welcomed the report of the U.S. proposal, saying that if it is indeed on the table, "it represents a true breakthrough."
The hostage families added that "The personal guarantee of the President of the United States is a historic step without precedent. Such an agreement would advance a broader regional settlement, secure the release of all hostages, and allow soldiers and reservists to return home to rebuild their families and livelihoods."
Mediators and the Path Forward
As reported in Haaretz, the American conditions were conveyed recently by an Israeli mediator, peace activist Gershon Baskin, who is considered to have good relations with senior Hamas officials and was key in a deal between Israel and Hamas to release abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was held captive in Gaza from June 2006 to October 2011.
Channel 12 also reported that Palestinian activist Bashara Bahbah is involved in the talks, which was confirmed by White House sources, who said that both emissaries are working closely with Witkoff.
Last month, Baskin detailed Hamas' consistent demands in the negotiations for a deal in a column he wrote for the Zman Israel news site, in which he argued that the group supports a comprehensive deal to release all Israeli hostages, and not a partial agreement. According to him, Hamas has been willing to release all hostages in exchange for the end of the war, Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the release of Palestinian prisoners and a significant increase in the entry of aid into the Strip.
Baskin says that in August 2024, he received a written statement according to which Hamas is willing to relinquish control of postwar Gaza to a professional Palestinian government – a government the group would not take part in.
"If Hamas is smart, they will take the Trump plan and run with it," said the source. "We hear that is what they are going to do. That would place all the heat on Bibi. Trump and Witkoff are looking to make a big play here. It may be the case that when the hostages are released, they will turn them over, not to the Israelis, but to the Americans. I would not rule out either Trump or Steve being visibly in charge of this. That would send the right optic. And then have Trump give them to Bibi. I think that is a real possibility."