Israel’s Cabinet to Debate Hamas Deal Ahead of Netanyahu’s Washington Trip
As Trump presses for a 60-day truce, Netanyahu balances hard-line ministers and public pressure to end the Gaza war.
Watan-To consider the proposed deal with Hamas, the Israeli cabinet will convene next Saturday night—just before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departs for Washington on his third visit this year and fifth since the war began. Yet Donald Trump, ahead of Netanyahu’s arrival and before any official Israeli stance has been issued, continues to express optimism that a ceasefire will come next week.
After Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer informed U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff that Israel had accepted the proposed framework, according to Israeli press reports, Trump told reporters:“I will be very tough with Netanyahu about ending the war, but he also wants it. I believe a deal will come together next week.”
Early Wednesday, Trump revisited the topic in a tweet, claiming that Israel had agreed to a 60-day truce during which all parties will negotiate an end to the war. Without offering details, he threatened:“I wish the Middle East well—Hamas should take this deal because they won’t get a better one, and things will only get worse… Egypt and Qatar will help oversee it.”
Trump, who has repeatedly hinted at a breakthrough, also boasted of victory over Iran and appears keen to stage a triumphant photo op with Netanyahu at the White House.
Revised Qatari-Backed Framework
Hebrew media report that Qatar has submitted an amended version of Witkoff’s second proposal: a 60-day truce with hostage-release provisions—eight Israelis freed on day one, two more on day fifty—and the return of half the fallen’s remains.
Domestic Divisions
In Israel, speculation swirls over how Netanyahu will navigate conflicting pressures. Public opinion and security officials broadly support ending the war, while hard-liners reject any deal. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir tweeted minutes after Trump’s remarks:“Any agreement will only follow the destruction of Hamas.”
Yet many analysts say Ben-Gvir’s threats are hollow in the face of U.S. pressure and Netanyahu’s post-Iran operation domestic clout. Some even suggest Netanyahu is serious about pairing a Gaza deal with a wider regional normalization push—from Saudi Arabia to Oman—and leveraging his Washington trip to strengthen his standing ahead of Israel’s summer Knesset recess and possible early elections.
“A Window of Historic Opportunity”
Netanyahu himself has described the moment as “a window of historic opportunity,” framing hostage retrieval as the nation’s highest goal and hinting in court that regional, security, and diplomatic shifts justify delaying his testimony.
U.S. Guarantees and Next Steps
Official Israeli radio reports that Trump may also offer a written U.S. guarantee for renewed strikes on Iran should its nuclear ambitions resume. Despite lingering debates over how to market an end-of-war deal—and how Hamas would respond—there is growing belief in Jerusalem that a truce is within reach. Public radio notes that a new, deliberately vague draft speaks of a “state of permanent peace” rather than merely a “ceasefire,” potentially easing Hamas’s path to acceptance.
