Keeponstalin

Here are some of the key differences between what Hamas agreed to on May 25 and what the U.S. and Israel crafted over the past week:

1. Duration of Ceasefire

What Hamas Agreed to: Hamas initially proposed a 90-day ceasefire, then said it would accept a 70-day version, and later signaled willingness to accept a 60-day truce, with a clear path to extend the truce as long as negotiations continued.

What the U.S. and Israel Crafted: 60-day ceasefire with no automatic extension. Talks and the truce may only continue if both sides agree and are “negotiating in good faith.”

2. Presidential Guarantee

What Hamas Agreed to: Trump would personally guarantee the ceasefire and commit to enforcing it, along with ensuring “Israel’s return to the status quo as it was prior to March 2, 2025,” when Israel abandoned the original ceasefire deal.. It states that Trump “insists that negotiations during the ceasefire period will lead to a permanent resolution of the conflict.”

What the U.S. and Israel Crafted: Trump is mentioned as announcing the agreement and that the president “guarantees Israel’s adherence to the ceasefire” for 60 days. There is no enforcement mechanism and no binding guarantee of Israeli military withdrawal.

In a section titled Presidential Support, the draft states: “The President is serious about the parties’ adherence to the ceasefire agreement and insists that the negotiations during the temporary ceasefire period, if successfully concluded with an agreement between the parties, would lead to a permanent resolution of the conflict.”

3. Terms on Exchange of Captives

What Hamas Agreed to: 10 living and 16 deceased Israeli captives released in two phases—5 living on day 1, and the remaining 5 living on day 90. While it was not in the text of the agreement, Hamas also sought two weeks to locate burial sites.

What the U.S. and Israel Crafted: 10 living and 18 deceased captives would be released in the first week—5 living and 9 deceased on day 1, and the rest on day 7. By the tenth day of the agreement, Hamas would provide information on the status of the remaining captives, living and dead.

4. Military Withdrawal

What Hamas Agreed to: Israeli withdrawal to the March 2 lines during the truce period, with President Trump guaranteeing Israel’s commitment to this. Full Israeli withdrawal from the entire Gaza Strip to take place immediately after a permanent ceasefire is declared and before the final exchange of captives and bodies.

What the U.S. and Israel Crafted: Only limited “redeployments” inside Gaza after each captive release. No commitment to full withdrawal; no return to pre-March 2 positions.

5. Humanitarian Aid

What Hamas Agreed to: Immediate, unrestricted aid flow under the January 17 humanitarian protocol. This would mean food, fuel, medicine and construction equipment, according to Hamas officials.

What the U.S. and Israel Crafted: Aid would enter “immediately” and the UN and Red Crescent would be involved with distribution. No mention of fuel, construction materials, or a total lifting of the Gaza blockade. No clarity on the future role of the controversial U.S. and Israeli-backed “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.”

6. Surveillance and Military Activity

What Hamas Agreed to: Complete cessation of all Israeli military activities, including a total ban on aerial and reconnaissance operations, for 90 days with no exceptions. Palestinian resistance groups would also halt all armed operations.

What the U.S. and Israel Crafted: Only “offensive” Israeli military operations would stop. Israeli surveillance and aerial activity would pause for only 10–12 hours per day, with full surveillance continuing the rest of the time.

7. Role of U.S. Envoy

What Hamas Agreed to: Steve Witkoff would travel to Doha, publicly sign the agreement, and shake hands with Hamas chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya. Witkoff would also lead the negotiations with the assistance of U.S. hostage envoy Adam Boehler and Palestinian-American Trump supporter and unofficial envoy Bishara Bahbah.

What the U.S. and Israel Crafted: Witkoff will “preside” over negotiations. No mention of a signing ceremony or handshake.

8. Governance and Reconstruction

What Hamas Agreed to: Immediate handover of Gaza’s administration to an independent Palestinian technocratic committee, with full authority over governance and reconstruction, which would begin immediately.

What the U.S. and Israel Crafted: No mention of Gaza governance and reconstruction. The “day after” may be discussed in future talks, but is not guaranteed.

9. Continued Ceasefire Commitment

What Hamas Agreed to: The U.S., Qatar, and Egypt would guarantee continued ceasefire and aid flow as long as negotiations toward a permanent resolution were ongoing.

What the U.S. and Israel Crafted: No such guarantee. The initial ceasefire, it says, “may be extended under conditions and for a duration to be agreed upon by the parties so long as the parties are negotiating in good faith.”

10. Israeli Strategy and Intentions

What Hamas Agreed to: The U.S. would pressure Israel to end the war and support a lasting peace.

What the U.S. and Israel Crafted: Israel has already accepted the new version—openly stating it will resume war after the captives are freed. Netanyahu said this week: “We will continue fighting until Hamas is destroyed.”