Full text of Witkoff’s US Gaza ceasefire deal, plus Hamas response

Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff drafted a document outlining the main points for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza. Al Majalla publishes it in full, alongside the response it got from Hamas.

Steve Witkoff's proposal (in Arabic) for a 60-day ceasefire.
Steve Witkoff's proposal (in Arabic) for a 60-day ceasefire.

Full text of Witkoff’s US Gaza ceasefire deal, plus Hamas response

A proposed framework for Israel and Hamas to implement a 60-day ceasefire with the support of US President Donald Trump, as well as Egypt and Qatar, has been much discussed in recent days, not least since Israel may agree to it. If both Israel and Hamas formally endorse the proposal, President Trump would commit to pursuing a final resolution to the conflict.

The document stipulates the need for long-term security arrangements within the Gaza Strip and the redeployment of Israeli forces in its northern and southern regions, with a full withdrawal to follow if a permanent ceasefire is reached.

Hamas’s official response to the Witkoff document, submitted to the mediators, centres on securing a permanent ceasefire, ensuring the continuous flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and achieving a full Israeli withdrawal from the territory.

Hamas submitted its response on Saturday. Below is the full text of the document, followed by Hamas’s response.

Witkoff Paper

Framework for negotiating a permanent ceasefire agreement

1. Duration: A ceasefire for 60 days. President Trump guarantees Israel’s compliance with the ceasefire for the agreed-upon period.

2. Release of Hostages: Ten living individuals and 18 deceased hostages will be released in two phases from the "List of 58 Hostages" submitted by Israel. The first phase, taking place on Day One of the agreement, will involve the release of five living hostages and nine deceased. The second phase, scheduled for Day Seven, will see the release of the remaining five living hostages and nine deceased. This phased approach is intended to coincide with the outset and midpoint of the initial ceasefire period, serving as a mechanism to build and reinforce mutual confidence between the parties.

3. Humanitarian Aid: Aid will be delivered to Gaza immediately upon Hamas’s approval of the ceasefire agreement. Any agreement on humanitarian assistance for civilians will be respected throughout the duration of the ceasefire. Aid will be distributed through agreed-upon channels, including the United Nations and the Red Crescent.

4. Israeli Military Activities: All Israeli offensive military operations in Gaza will cease upon the entry into force of this agreement. During the ceasefire, aerial (military and reconnaissance) flights over the Gaza Strip will be suspended for 10 hours daily, or 12 hours daily on days of prisoner and missing persons exchanges.

Any agreement on humanitarian assistance for civilians will be respected throughout the duration of the ceasefire. Aid will be distributed through agreed-upon channels, including the UN and the Red Crescent

5. Redeployment of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF):

a. On the first day, following the release of Israeli hostages (5 living and 9 deceased), redeployment will occur in the northern Gaza Strip and the Netzarim Corridor, in accordance with Article 3 on humanitarian aid and based on mutually agreed maps.

b. On the seventh day, following the release of Israeli hostages (5 living and 9 deceased), redeployment will occur in the southern Gaza Strip in accordance with Article 3 on humanitarian aid and based on mutually agreed maps.

c. Technical teams will work to define the final redeployment boundaries during proximity negotiations.

6. Negotiations: On the first day, negotiations will commence under the auspices of the mediating guarantors regarding the necessary arrangements for a permanent ceasefire, including:

a. Terms and conditions for the exchange of all remaining Israeli hostages for an agreed number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

b. Issues related to the redeployment and withdrawal of Israeli forces, as well as long-term security arrangements within the Gaza Strip.

Hatem Khaled/Reuters
Palestinians carry their belongings as they flee their homes after the Israeli army issued evacuation orders from the center Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, June 3, 2025.

c. "Day After" arrangements in Gaza, to be raised by either side.

d. Declaration of a Permanent Ceasefire.

7. Presidential Support: The President is deeply committed to ensuring the parties' adherence to the ceasefire agreement and insists that negotiations during the temporary ceasefire period, if concluded successfully with an agreement between the parties, will lead to a permanent resolution of the conflict.

8. Release of Palestinian Prisoners: In exchange for the release of the 10 living Israeli hostages, and in accordance with the terms of the first phase of the January 19, 2025 agreement on hostages and prisoners, Israel will release 125 prisoners serving life sentences and 1,111 detainees from Gaza arrested after October 7, 2023. In exchange for the release of the remains of 18 deceased Israeli hostages, Israel will release the remains of 180 deceased Gazans. Releases will be carried out simultaneously through a mutually agreed mechanism, without public displays or ceremonies. Half of these releases will take place on the first day, and the other half on the seventh day.

9. Status of Hostages and Prisoners: On the tenth day, Hamas will provide comprehensive information (proof of life, medical reports/proof of death) for each remaining hostage. In return, Israel will provide full details on Palestinian prisoners from Gaza detained since October 7, as well as the number of deceased Gazans held in Israel. Hamas commits to ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of the hostages during the ceasefire.

The mediating guarantors (the United States, Egypt, and Qatar) will ensure the continuation of the ceasefire for 60 days and any extensions

10. Release of Remaining Hostages by Agreement: Negotiations on arrangements for a permanent ceasefire must be completed within 60 days. Upon agreement, the remaining hostages (living and deceased) from Israel's "List of 58" will be released. If negotiations on a permanent ceasefire are not concluded within this period, the temporary ceasefire may be extended under specific conditions and for a duration mutually agreed upon by both parties

11. Guarantors: The mediating guarantors (the United States, Egypt, and Qatar) will ensure the continuation of the ceasefire for 60 days and any agreed extensions. They will guarantee serious discussions on the necessary agreements for a permanent ceasefire and will exert maximum effort to ensure the completion of the aforementioned negotiations.

AFP
A boy looks in his reflection through a mirror as people pack their belongings to flee from Khan Yunis westwards to al-Mawasi in the southern Gaza Strip on June 3, 2025 after the Israeli military issued an evacuation order.

12. Envoy Leadership: Special Envoy Ambassador Steve Witkoff will travel to the region to finalize the agreement and will lead the negotiations.

13. President Trump: The ceasefire will be personally announced by President Trump. The United States and President Trump are committed to ensuring good-faith negotiations continue until a final agreement is reached.

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Hamas response

1. Duration: A 60-day ceasefire. President Trump guarantees Israel's compliance with the ceasefire during the agreed-upon period.

2. Release of Israeli Detainees and Remains: Ten living Israeli detainees and eighteen remains will be released in stages. Four living detainees will be released on the first day, two on the thirtieth day, and four on the sixtieth day. As for the remains, six will be handed over on the tenth day, six on the thirtieth day, and six on the 50th day.

3. Humanitarian Aid and Conditions:

a. Aid will enter Gaza immediately upon approval of the ceasefire agreement, in accordance with the humanitarian protocol stipulated in the January 19 2025 agreement, through the United Nations and its agencies, and other organizations including the Red Crescent.

The Hamas (Arabic) response to Steve Witkoff's proposal for a 60-day ceasefire.

b. Rehabilitation of infrastructure – including electricity, sanitation, communications, and roads – will commence, alongside the entry of necessary materials, including construction supplies. Hospitals, health centres, schools, and bakeries throughout the enclave will be reactivated.

c. Residents of the Gaza Strip will be permitted to travel and return via the Rafah crossing without restrictions, and commercial and goods traffic will resume.

d. During the negotiation period, arrangements and plans for the reconstruction of homes, facilities, and infrastructure destroyed during the war will be finalized, with support allocated to groups affected by the conflict. The Gaza reconstruction plan will begin implementation over a period of three to five years, under the supervision of several states and organisations, including Egypt, Qatar, and the United Nations.

4. Israeli Military Activities: All Israeli military operations in Gaza will cease upon the agreement's entry into force. During the ceasefire, aerial (military and reconnaissance) flights over Gaza will be suspended for 10 hours daily, and for 12 hours on days involving captives and detainee exchanges.

During the negotiation period, arrangements and plans for the reconstruction of homes, facilities, and infrastructure destroyed during the war will be finalized, with support allocated

5. Israeli Troop Withdrawal: On the first day, following the release of four living Israeli detainees, Israeli forces will redeploy to their positions prior to March 2, 2025, across all areas of the Gaza Strip, in accordance with the maps outlined in the January 19, 2025 agreement.

6. Negotiations: On the first day, indirect negotiations, sponsored by the guaranteeing mediators, will commence regarding the necessary arrangements for a permanent ceasefire. Topics include:

a. Terms and conditions for the exchange of all remaining Israeli detainees for an agreed number of Palestinian captives  held in Israeli jails.

b. Declaration of a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. (This declaration will follow an agreement on the exchange of the remaining captives and remains, and precede the implementation of handover procedures.)

c. "Day After" arrangements in Gaza, including:

 – Immediate commencement of governance by an independent technocratic committee with full authority and responsibility.

 – A long-term cessation (5 to 7 years) of mutual hostile military operations between the parties, guaranteed by the mediators (the United States, Egypt, and Qatar).

Amir Cohen/Reuters
Israeli soldiers fire a mortar towards Gaza from their position near the border, as seen from Israel, June 2, 2025.

7. Presidential Support: The President is committed to ensuring the parties' adherence to the ceasefire agreement and affirms that, if negotiations during the temporary ceasefire period are successfully concluded with agreement between the parties, they will lead to a permanent resolution of the conflict.

8. Release of Palestinian Captives and Remains: In exchange for the ten living Israeli detainees and the 18 remains, an agreed-upon number of Palestinian captives and remains will be released. The release of captives and remains will be conducted simultaneously, through a mutually agreed mechanism.

9. Status of Captives and Detainees:

a. On the tenth day, Hamas will provide information on the numbers of living and deceased remaining detainees held by Hamas and Palestinian factions. In return, Israel will provide comprehensive information on all living and deceased prisoners captured from among Gaza Strip residents since October 7, 2023.

b. Hamas commits to ensuring the health, safety, and care of Israeli detainees upon the commencement of the ceasefire. In return, Israel will ensure the health, safety, and care of Palestinian captives and detainees held in Israeli facilities, in accordance with international law and norms.

10. Release of Remaining Detainees: Negotiations regarding a permanent ceasefire must be concluded within 60 days. Upon agreement – and following the declaration of a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip – the remaining detainees (living and deceased) from Israel's "list of 58" will be released, in exchange for an agreed number of Palestinian captives.

11. Guarantors: The mediating guarantors (the United States, Egypt, and Qatar) will ensure adherence to the 60-day ceasefire and any agreed upon extensions. They will also guarantee the continuation of negotiations until a permanent ceasefire agreement is reached, alongside the maintenance of military de-escalation and the entry of humanitarian aid.

12. Envoy to Lead Negotiations: Special Envoy Ambassador Steve Witkoff will travel to the region to finalise the agreement. He will chair the negotiations.

13. President Trump: President Trump will personally announce the ceasefire agreement. The United States and President Trump are committed to ensuring that negotiations continue in earnest until a final agreement is reached.

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