US pushes for ceasefire in Gaza
(VOVWORLD) - The US continues to promote a temporary ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, brokered by Egypt and Qatar, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday.
 The sun sets over Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border between Gaza and Israel, August 19, 2025. (Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen) |
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said Tuesday that Hamas has accepted a proposal which includes a clear roadmap toward a lasting ceasefire.
Under its terms, Hamas would release 28 Israeli hostages in exchange for Israel freeing 200 Palestinian prisoners, many of them women and minors. Israel would then partially withdraw from Gaza and allow increased humanitarian aid deliveries.
Israel, however, is insisting on a more comprehensive deal that secures the release of all 50 remaining hostages.
Previous negotiations led by US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff stalled over disagreements on key provisions. Egypt has proposed seizing Hamas’s weapons stockpiles and installing a Palestinian technocratic government to administer Gaza during reconstruction, but Hamas regards disarmament as a “red line”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out any role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza’s governance, effectively leaving Israel in direct control of the enclave.
Meanwhile, fighting has intensified. Israeli shelling and airstrikes on Tuesday killed at least 20 Palestinians.