The Daily Populous Wednesday July 2nd, 2025 evening edition
Authored by inews.co.uk and submitted by theipaper

US president urges Hamas to accept deal, warning the situation 'will only get worse' if it does not

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Israel has agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, Donald Trump has announced, and warned Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen.

“My Representatives had a long and productive meeting with the Israelis today on Gaza. Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalise the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War,” Trump wrote, saying the Qataris and Egyptians would deliver the final proposal.

“I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,” he said.

He did not identify his representatives but US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance had been due to meet Ron Dermer, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The US President’s announcement comes as he prepares to host Netanyahu for talks at the White House next week.

Trump has repeatedly issued dramatic ultimatums to pressure Hamas to agree to longer pauses in the fighting that would see the release of more hostages and a return of more aid to Gaza’s civilian populace.

Hamas has said it is willing to free remaining hostages in Gaza under any deal to end the war, while Israel says it can only end if Hamas is disarmed and dismantled. Hamas refuses to lay down its arms.

Trump claimed there could be a deal by next week (Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP)

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump said the Israeli prime minister was ready to come to an agreement.

“He wants to,” Trump said of Netanyahu in an exchange with reporters while visiting a new immigration detention facility in Florida. “I think we’ll have a deal next week.”

The US has proposed a 60-day ceasefire and the release of half the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the remains of other Palestinians.

About 50 hostages remain captive in Gaza, with less than half believed to be alive.

Palestinians carry sacks and boxes of food and humanitarian aid (Photo: Jehad Alshrafi/AP)

Trump and his aides appear to be seeking to use any momentum from the ceasefire between Israel and Iran that took hold last week to secure a lasting truce in the war in Gaza.

Trump told reporters during a visit to Florida that he would be “very firm” with Netanyahu on the need for a speedy Gaza ceasefire while noting that the Israeli leader wants one as well.

“We hope it’s going to happen. And we’re looking forward to it happening sometime next week,” he told reporters. “We want to get the hostages out.”

The development came as over 150 international charities and humanitarian groups called for disbanding a controversial Israeli and US-backed system to distribute aid in Gaza because of chaos and deadly violence against Palestinians seeking food at its sites.

The joint statement by groups including Oxfam, Save the Children and Amnesty International followed the killings of at least 10 Palestinians who were seeking desperately needed food, witnesses and health officials said.

Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 37 in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, according to Nasser Hospital.

The war in Gaza was triggered when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Gaza’s health ministry says Israel’s retaliatory military assault has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians.

The assault has also caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced Gaza’s entire population and prompted accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice and of war crimes at the International Criminal Court.

No_Damage979 on July 2nd, 2025 at 09:27 UTC »

Sure. Whatever.

ICPcrisis on July 2nd, 2025 at 09:16 UTC »

Ceasefire is such a dumb term here.

djazzie on July 2nd, 2025 at 08:16 UTC »

Does Israel know it’s ready to agree to a ceasefire?