White House submitted Israel-backed ceasefire proposal to Hamas

The Trump administration has submitted a ceasefire proposal supported by Israel to Hamas in the hopes of reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, the White House confirmed Thursday.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump submitted the proposal to the Palestinian militant group.

“Israel signed off on this proposal before it was sent to Hamas,” Leavitt said. “I can also confirm that those discussions are continuing, and we hope that a ceasefire in Gaza will take place so we can return all the hostages home.”

The press secretary did not detail the specifics of the proposal, which reportedly centers around a 60-day pause in fighting. She said Trump would likely address any breakthrough.

The Trump administration, led by Witkoff, has pressed for an end to fighting in Gaza between Hamas and Israel and the release of all hostages. Fighting between the two sides has been ongoing since Hamas’s October 2023 attack that killed more than 1,100 Israelis and led to more than 250 people taken captive.

Israel’s responding military campaign has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians and created a humanitarian crisis due to a lack of access to food, water and medical supplies in the Gaza Strip.

Trump has in the past suggested the U.S. would eventually take control of Gaza and turn it into a “freedom zone” by developing it economically. But such a plan would involve displacing Palestinians — a nonstarter for Arab nations in the region.