{"id":1803,"date":"2025-07-03T02:58:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T02:58:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=1803"},"modified":"2025-07-03T02:58:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T02:58:09","slug":"israel-agrees-to-u-s-proposed-gaza-cease-fire-deal-but-rejects-hamass-demands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=1803","title":{"rendered":"Israel Agrees to U.S.-Proposed Gaza Cease-Fire Deal but Rejects Hamas&#8217;s Demands"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Welcome back to World Brief, where we\u2019re looking at a <strong>U.S.<\/strong>-proposed <strong>Israel-Hamas<\/strong> cease-fire deal, who will be the next <strong>Dalai Lama<\/strong>, and a landmark agreement between <strong>Mercosur<\/strong> and the <strong>European Free Trade Association<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3><strong>Won\u2019t Concede<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Israel <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/middle-east\/israel-confirms-agreed-us-proposal-ceasefire-hamas-rcna216423\">agreed<\/a> to a U.S.-proposed Gaza cease-fire and hostage release deal with Hamas on Wednesday, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump called on both sides to accept a truce. \u201cWe are serious in our will to reach a hostage deal and a cease-fire,\u201d Israeli Foreign Minister <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/europe\/israel-says-it-is-serious-about-reaching-ceasefire-cites-positive-signs-2025-07-02\/\">Gideon Saar<\/a> said Wednesday. \u201cOur goal is to begin proximity talks as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Welcome back to World Brief, where we\u2019re looking at a <strong>U.S.<\/strong>-proposed <strong>Israel-Hamas<\/strong> cease-fire deal, who will be the next <strong>Dalai Lama<\/strong>, and a landmark agreement between <strong>Mercosur<\/strong> and the <strong>European Free Trade Association<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-fallback\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/category\/world-brief\/\">Sign up<\/a>  to receive World Brief in your inbox every weekday.            <\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<form data-shortcode-newsletter=\"world_brief\" class=\"newsletter-unit-signup newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode email-capture--step-1 newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-world_brief\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-world_brief newsletter-shortcode-world_brief\">\n<div class=\"show-on-email-capture--signed-up hide-from-newsletter-subscriber newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode--container\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit newsletter-row\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-world_brief\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">Sign up to receive World Brief in your inbox every weekday.<\/h2>\n<p>\n                        <button class=\"button\">Sign Up<\/button>\n                    <\/p>\n<div class=\"grid--flex newsletter-world_brief newsletter-signup-container\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"World Brief sign up form\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<div class=\"buttons\">\n<div class=\"hide-from-newsletter-subscriber privacy-policy-container\">\n<div class=\"privacy-policy-acknowledge\">\n<p><small>By submitting your email, you agree to the <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/privacy\/\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/termsofuse\/\" target=\"_blank\">Terms of Use<\/a> and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.<\/small><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n    <label for=\"email-world_brief\">Enter your email<\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"email\" name=\"email\" class=\"hide-from-reg hide-from-sub\" id=\"email-world_brief\" aria-required=\"true\" required=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>    <button class=\"button button--signup \" data-newsletter-id=\"world_brief\" data-sourceid=\"In-article unit\" type=\"submit\"><br \/>\n      <span class=\"sign-up-text\">Sign Up<\/span><br \/>\n      <span class=\"loading-text\">Loading&#8230;<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/button>\n  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<hr\/>\n<h3><strong>Won\u2019t Concede<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Israel <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/middle-east\/israel-confirms-agreed-us-proposal-ceasefire-hamas-rcna216423\">agreed<\/a> to a U.S.-proposed Gaza cease-fire and hostage release deal with Hamas on Wednesday, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump called on both sides to accept a truce. \u201cWe are serious in our will to reach a hostage deal and a cease-fire,\u201d Israeli Foreign Minister <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/europe\/israel-says-it-is-serious-about-reaching-ceasefire-cites-positive-signs-2025-07-02\/\">Gideon Saar<\/a> said Wednesday. \u201cOur goal is to begin proximity talks as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Under the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/trumps-ceasefire-statement-raises-hopes-gaza-israel-presses-with-attacks-2025-07-02\/\">U.S. proposal<\/a>, Israel and Hamas would adhere to a 60-day cease-fire, during which Israeli troops would partially withdraw from Gaza and a surge of humanitarian aid would be allowed into the territory. Hundreds of Palestinians have been <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/06\/05\/gaza-aid-israel-palestine-shootings-hamas\/\">killed<\/a> in recent weeks while trying to access food at aid distribution sites, including those controlled by the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.<\/p>\n<p>It is unclear how many hostages would be exchanged as part of the deal; Israeli forces believe that 50 people remain in Hamas\u2019s captivity, of whom less than half are believed to still be alive. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/06\/29\/middleeast\/netanyahu-hostages-opportunity-iran-intl-latam\">appeared to suggest<\/a> that Israel may prioritize rescuing the hostages over defeating Hamas, a shift in his previous portrayal of the country\u2019s goals.<\/p>\n<p>Still, several conditions of the agreement remain in contention, and neither Israel nor Hamas appear willing to make concessions. Trump has suggested that the deal would work toward establishing a permanent end to the war; however, Netanyahu <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-07-02-2025-111a1cf968318cb0fb6d9865a3ac84dc?user_email=6b04284e4d00370f16d3dac0a626e01bf24d86e4d6995646867da6aa680488d0&amp;utm_medium=Morning_Wire&amp;utm_source=Sailthru_AP&amp;utm_campaign=Morning%20Wire_2%20July_2025&amp;utm_term=Morning%20Wire%20Subscribers\">reiterated<\/a> on Wednesday that he will not accept any peace deal unless Hamas is defeated. \u201c[T]here will be no Hamas\u201d in postwar Gaza, Netanyahu said, adding that Israel will only agree to halt all fighting if Hamas surrenders, disarms, and exiles itself.<\/p>\n<p>Hamas, meanwhile, has said that it\u2019s willing to free the remaining hostages if Israel agrees to a complete withdrawal from Gaza. The group is \u201cready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war,\u201d Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said. Israel rejects both of these conditions.<\/p>\n<p>International pressure is growing to clinch a deal, as Gaza\u2019s Health Ministry announced on Wednesday that the death toll for Palestinians has surpassed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aa.com.tr\/en\/middle-east\/gaza-death-toll-passes-57-000-as-israel-continues-genocidal-war-against-palestinians\/3619823\">57,000 people<\/a>. \u201cI hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better\u2014IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,\u201d Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/114780321031653396\">posted<\/a> on Truth Social on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>A Hamas delegation reportedly flew to Cairo on Wednesday to meet with Egyptian and Qatari mediators about potential truce proposals, and Netanyahu is expected to <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-netanyahu-israel-hamas-iran-858db32968941012117dfb7d391e6f3c\">visit the White House<\/a> next Monday to further discuss the conflict. His visit will come just days after Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer met with top U.S. officials in Washington. Trump himself has suggested that a cease-fire deal could come together as soon as next week.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3><strong>Today\u2019s Most Read<\/strong><\/h3>\n<hr\/>\n<h3><strong>What We\u2019re Following<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>The next Dalai Lama. <\/strong>The Dalai Lama <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dalailama.com\/news\/statement-affirming-the-continuation-of-the-institution-of-dalai-lama\">confirmed<\/a> on Wednesday that, upon his death, he will be reincarnated as the next spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. With just days remaining before he turns 90, the Dalai Lama spelled out the succession process, ending speculation that he would be the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/china\/dalai-lama-says-institution-dalai-lama-will-continue-2025-07-02\/?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=Newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=Daily-Briefing&amp;utm_term=070225&amp;lctg=607f1056abd4f461f466319b\">last reincarnated version<\/a> of the religion\u2019s spiritual leader.<\/p>\n<p>The current Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule and now lives in exile in India. Since his exile began, he has advocated for nonviolence and support of Tibetan independence, earning him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.<\/p>\n<p>China maintains that only Beijing can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/world\/the-dalai-lama-is-turning-90-and-has-a-birthday-message-for-beijing-1e9eb3fa?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAhiFvOiTGWVkCcFJGXqh6HrQTIZNW__PprIGYcQyF6SVUWJePhdABuaVm6CE-o%3D&amp;gaa_ts=68656129&amp;gaa_sig=JCLLWUu70Ik33QWCYnUiPzzpVaLGTF_pKsiVH8qnAvHIh32HB3oveuWm6LIduJyjoN64xkQeEWRdl03HVrxxdw%3D%3D\">approve<\/a> the Dalai Lama\u2019s successor. However, the Dalai Lama affirmed on Wednesday that the next reincarnation will be born outside of China, urging his followers to reject whoever Beijing claims is the next spiritual guide.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor China, controlling this succession offers the ultimate prize: legitimizing decades of occupation by transforming Tibet\u2019s greatest symbol of resistance into an instrument of state authority,\u201d Kelsang Aukatsang <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/07\/02\/dalai-lama-reincarnation-china-tibet-relgion\/\">argues<\/a> in <em>Foreign Policy<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bolstering trade. <\/strong>The Latin American Mercosur trade bloc concluded talks on Wednesday with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) to cement a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/americas\/mercosur-efta-blocs-seal-free-trade-agreement-cnn-brasil-reports-2025-07-01\/\">new free trade deal<\/a>. With all five full and active Mercosur members (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) as well as all four EFTA nations (Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland) signing off, the agreement will create a free trade area of almost 300 million people and a combined GDP of more than $4.3 trillion, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.efta.int\/media-resources\/news\/efta-and-mercosur-conclude-negotiations-free-trade-agreement#:~:text=The%20MERCOSUR%20%2D%20EFTA%20Free%20Trade,more%20than%20US%24%204.3%20trillion.\">joint statement<\/a> issued by the two blocs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBoth sides will benefit from improved market access for more than 97% of their exports, which will increase bilateral trade and translate into benefits for businesses and individuals,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n<p>The agreement still requires parliamentary approval and legal review from both blocs\u2019 individual members, but the Norwegian delegation <a href=\"https:\/\/buenosairesherald.com\/world\/international-relations\/mercosur-efta-announce-fta-negotiations-successfully-completed\">said<\/a> it expects that process to be finished in early 2026. The deal will enter into force <a href=\"https:\/\/buenosairesherald.com\/world\/international-relations\/mercosur-efta-announce-fta-negotiations-successfully-completed\">three months<\/a> after all the signatory countries have ratified it.<\/p>\n<p>Mercosur has targeted European markets before. Last December, the bloc struck a <a href=\"https:\/\/policy.trade.ec.europa.eu\/eu-trade-relationships-country-and-region\/countries-and-regions\/mercosur\/eu-mercosur-agreement_en\">free trade deal<\/a> with the European Union in an effort to increase bilateral investments and promote sustainable development, including efforts to fight climate change. That agreement still needs to be translated and ratified by all 27 EU states, though it has faced pushback from some countries, such as France.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leaving the IAEA. <\/strong>Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced on Wednesday that Tehran has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.eu\/article\/iran-halts-cooperation-un-nuclear-watchdog\/\">suspended cooperation<\/a> with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The announcement came after Iran\u2019s parliament approved a bill last week to suspend the country\u2019s cooperation with the United Nations\u2019 nuclear watchdog.<\/p>\n<p>Under the legislation, \u201cIAEA inspectors will not be permitted to enter Iran unless the security of the country\u2019s nuclear facilities and that of peaceful nuclear activities is guaranteed,\u201d Iranian media <a href=\"https:\/\/en.mehrnews.com\/news\/233905\/Pezeshkian-approves-Parliament-bill-to-suspend-ties-with-IAEA\">reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Pezeshkian has claimed that the IAEA is a biased organization and that it gave information about Tehran\u2019s nuclear facilities to Israel. However, experts suggest that the suspension could also be a tactic to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/07\/02\/world\/middleeast\/iran-nuclear-iaea.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;referringSource=articleShare\">gain leverage<\/a> in future nuclear negotiations with the United States.<\/p>\n<p>Trump has suggested that such talks will begin soon, but Tehran appears less optimistic. \u201cI don\u2019t think negotiations will restart as quickly as that,\u201d Iranian Foreign Minister <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/iran-nuclear-iaea-cooperation-8bbdc81b9199d8d179d0fb2e1b8dac2a\">Abbas Araghchi<\/a> said this week, though he added that \u201cthe doors of diplomacy will never slam shut.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Iran maintains that its uranium enrichment facilities are for civilian purposes, but Israeli and U.S. intelligence have suggested that Tehran was close to developing a nuclear weapon before the start of the 12-day <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/06\/13\/israel-iran-attack-death-blow-nuclear\/\">Israel-Iran conflict<\/a>, which targeted Iran\u2019s nuclear and military infrastructure. Last month, the IAEA accused Iran of <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/06\/27\/iran-us-israel-strikes-dia-bomb-facilities\/\">failing to comply<\/a> with its nuclear nonproliferation obligations\u2014a day before Israel launched its first strike.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3><strong>Odds and Ends<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>North Korea is embracing summer with a <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/north-korea-tourism-beach-resort-kim-1fe3d41501e93eb0c5a04dc2700a284b\">new beach resort<\/a>. The Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone, which opened on Tuesday, can accommodate nearly 20,000 people with its hotels, restaurants, and slew of water activities, according to North Korean state media. The resort is part of leader Kim Jong Un\u2019s latest efforts to improve the country\u2019s economy by boosting tourism. But with most foreign visitors still banned from entering the country, it is unclear just how successful the venture will be.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/07\/02\/israel-hamas-gaza-cease-fire-hostage-release-deal-trump\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome back to World Brief, where we\u2019re looking at a U.S.-proposed Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal, who will be the next Dalai Lama, and a landmark agreement between Mercosur and the European Free Trade Association. Won\u2019t Concede Israel agreed to a U.S.-proposed Gaza cease-fire and hostage release deal with Hamas on Wednesday, a day after U.S. President [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1804,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1803","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-politcical-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1803","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1803"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1803\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}