Trump Envoys Head to Egypt as Hamas Accepts Ceasefire Plan

U.S. Envoys Head to Egypt to Secure Release of Israeli Hostages and Advance Trump-Brokered Ceasefire Between Israel and Hamas.

U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff (R) and Jared Kushner await Trump's arrival at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, July 13, 2025. (Photo: AFP)
U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff (R) and Jared Kushner await Trump's arrival at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, July 13, 2025. (Photo: AFP)

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Two senior envoys of U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Egypt on Saturday to discuss the release of hostages in Gaza after Hamas announced its acceptance of Trump’s ceasefire proposal, even as Israel continued its air and ground operations across the enclave.

Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and longtime associate Steve Witkoff were dispatched to Cairo to finalize details of the hostage release and advance a framework to end the nearly two-year war between Israel and Hamas, a White House official told AFP. 

The talks mark Trump’s most direct intervention yet in the conflict since returning to office, as he seeks to broker what he calls a “lasting peace” between Israel and the Palestinians.

Hamas on Friday issued a statement declaring its approval “for the release of all hostages — living and remains — according to the exchange formula included in President Trump’s proposal.”

As reported by Kurdistan24, Trump, in a post on Truth Social, responded that the militant group’s statement “shows they are ready for a lasting PEACE,” adding that “Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza so that we can get the hostages out safely and quickly.”

But on Saturday, the president tempered his optimism with a warning: Hamas, he said, must act swiftly and “should not tolerate delay” in implementing the deal.

Despite the diplomatic flurry, Israel pressed on with its military campaign. The Israeli army confirmed ongoing operations in Gaza City and warned civilians not to return to the north.

“The IDF troops are still operating in Gaza City, and returning to it is extremely dangerous,” said Colonel Avichay Adraee, the military’s Arabic-language spokesperson.

Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital reported at least 39 people killed in strikes since dawn Saturday, including 34 in Gaza City, where Israeli forces have concentrated their recent offensive. However, these casualties have not been confirmed by any neutral and reliable source.

“The bombardment continues with the same intensity — air strikes, artillery shelling, and drone fire,” said Mohammed al-Mughayyir, a civil defense official.

Hospitals said that among the dead were 17 members of the Abdul Aal family, killed when an air strike hit their home in Gaza City’s Al-Tuffa neighborhood.

In Gaza City’s Al-Zeitoun neighborhood, 24-year-old Jamila al-Sayyid said she was heartened by the ceasefire announcement but disappointed that “the warplanes did not stop.”

According to U.S. officials and Egyptian mediators, Trump’s proposal envisions a halt to hostilities, the release of hostages within 72 hours, and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. 

It also calls for Hamas’s disarmament and the establishment of a technocratic administration to govern Gaza, overseen by a post-war transitional authority headed by Trump himself.

The plan requires that Hamas and other militant factions have no role in Gaza’s governance, a move widely seen as necessary to end the group’s decades-long cycle of violence and restore security, stability, and effective leadership to the territory.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, an Israeli advocacy group, praised Trump’s demand to halt the fighting.

“Stopping the war immediately is essential to prevent serious and irreversible harm to the hostages,” the group said.

Egypt, which has played a central role in mediating previous truces, is expected to host a conference of Palestinian factions to discuss Gaza’s post-war future.

A Hamas official told reporters that the meeting would focus on forming an inclusive Palestinian administration to manage reconstruction and governance in coordination with international partners.

Global Leaders Welcome Hamas’s Acceptance of Trump’s Gaza Plan

International reactions poured in after Hamas signaled on Friday its acceptance of U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to release Israeli hostages and end the nearly two-year conflict in Gaza.

Trump urged Hamas to act swiftly, warning against delays, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed preparations to implement the first stage of the plan in coordination with the U.S.

Mediating countries, including Qatar and Egypt, welcomed the development, calling for all parties to commit to a ceasefire and implement Trump’s proposal on the ground.

The United Nations also praised Hamas’s response, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urging all parties to seize the opportunity to end the conflict, ensure humanitarian aid reaches Gaza, and secure the release of hostages.

European leaders, including France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Friedrich Merz, and Britain’s Keir Starmer, described the move as a significant step toward peace, while Turkey and Jordan emphasized the urgency of a ceasefire, the delivery of humanitarian aid, and a genuine effort toward a just and lasting resolution in Gaza.

Gaza Residents Hail Trump Ceasefire Plan Amid Ongoing Israeli Operations

An AFP journalist in the coastal town of Al-Mawasi reported celebratory cries of “Allahu akbar!” from displaced families in makeshift tents when news of Hamas’s statement spread.

“The best thing is that President Trump himself announced a ceasefire,” Sami Adas, a 50-year-old father sheltering in Gaza City, told AFP.

“Netanyahu will not be able to escape this time — Trump is the only one who can force Israel to stop the war,” he added.

"Trump's announcement was very surprising to me, as he has always been biased toward Israel," 24-year-old Jamila al-Sayyid, from Gaza City's Zeitun neighborhood, told AFP.

Despite Trump's appeal, she said "the planes did not stop" bombing, but still felt good about her decision not to flee from the territory's largest urban center.

"The most important thing is that the ceasefire will take effect and the Israeli prisoners will be released, as they are a pretext for Israel to continue its occupation", she added, referring to the 47 hostages still held in Gaza, including 25 the military says are dead.

The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel that killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures. Nearly two years into the war, Gaza lies in ruins, its population shattered by siege and displacement.

Trump’s proposed deal, if implemented, could offer a critical opportunity to reduce hostilities and bring a measure of stability to a region long devastated by conflict.

While diplomacy works to take effect, Israeli forces continue operations in Gaza in response to ongoing threats, highlighting the challenges of securing a ceasefire in the face of persistent militant activity.

 
 
 
 
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