White House says Israel signed off on Gaza ceasefire plan

The White House has confirmed that Israel has agreed to a ceasefire proposal put forward by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump. This move aims to secure the release of 58 hostages who have been held in Gaza for over 600 days.

White House press secretary Karoline Levitt informed reporters that Israel had given the green light to the proposal before it was presented to Hamas. She stated, “I can also confirm that those discussions are ongoing, and we are hopeful that a ceasefire in Gaza will be achieved so that we can bring all the hostages home.”

However, Hamas has not yet agreed to the proposal. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce mentioned that there is a sense of cautious optimism, but the position of Hamas remains unknown at this point.

In a statement released by Hamas, they mentioned reaching an agreement with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff on a general framework for a permanent ceasefire. The terms include the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the provision of humanitarian aid, and the establishment of a professional committee to oversee Gaza’s affairs after the agreement is announced.

Hamas also claimed that the latest proposal they reviewed included the release of 10 Israeli hostages and a number of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for unspecified concessions. It is unclear if these specific details were part of the agreement reached by Israel.

Edan Alexander, the last American-Israeli hostage alive in Hamas captivity, was released earlier this month. However, 58 hostages, including the bodies of four American Israelis, are still being held.

Approximately 24 of the hostages are believed to be alive, although conflicting reports from Israel suggest that this number may be lower. The bodies of the four American Israelis taken captive in October 2023, including Itay Chen, Omer Neutra, Gadi Haggai, and Judi Weinstein Haggai, are still being held.

The negotiations for the release of the hostages are ongoing, with hopes for a peaceful resolution to bring all the hostages home safely.

Caitlin McFall is a Reporter at Fox News Digital covering Politics, U.S., and World news.