Trump pushes for Gaza ceasefire, but can he guarantee end of war?
Of the remaining hurdles to achieving a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the most difficult to overcome may be the militants’ demand for a guaranteed end to the war.
WASHINGTON — As his negotiators work to finalize a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, President Donald Trump faces a major obstacle: meeting the militant group’s demand that any agreement guarantees a permanent end to the war.
His administration has ramped up its diplomacy for a lasting ceasefire in the 21-month war that's killed an estimated 57,000 Palestinians, left the coastal enclave in ruins and jeopardized Trump's aspirations for regional engagement with Israel.
Officials from Israel and Hamas are meeting with mediators in Doha, Qatar, this week for indirect talks on an agreement that would halt the war and secure the release of the remaining 50 hostages, less than half of whom Israeli authorities believe are still alive.
On the table is a US-backed 60-day truce resembling the ceasefire that broke down in March. The deal stipulates that Hamas return 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in exchange for a to-be-agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners and a surge in humanitarian assistance.
