Trump urges Hamas to accept 'final' ceasefire proposal
Welcome back to the Daily Briefing.
This is Adam Lucente, filling in for Gabrielle.
In today’s edition:
- Trump makes ceasefire plea as Gaza fighting persists
- Iran suspends IAEA cooperation
- Israel announces operation against 'Iranian-operated' group in Syria
- Turkey's ruling party says PKK disarmament imminent
I highlight these top stories below.
Thanks for reading,
Adam Lucente (@Adam_Lucente)
Trump urges Hamas to accept ceasefire proposal
(Eyad BABA)
US President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post Tuesday evening that Israel has agreed to the "necessary conditions to finalize" a 60-day ceasefire between itself and Hamas. Trump called on the armed Palestinian group to accept the deal.
"The Qataris and Egyptians, who have worked very hard to help bring Peace, will deliver this final proposal. I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE," he wrote, referencing the mediation by Qatar and Egypt.
The last ceasefire between Israel and Hamas broke down in March, leading to renewed fighting in war-torn Gaza.
The Palestinian Authority's WAFA news agency reported on Wednesday that at least 10 Gazans were killed by Israeli shelling that morning.
Meanwhile, Hamas said on Wednesday that clan leader Yasser Abu Shabab must surrender, Reuters reported. Shabab has accused Hamas of looting humanitarian aid and is based in southern Gaza's Rafah.
Iran suspends cooperation with IAEA
A handout picture shows Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian giving an address in Tehran.
On Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a bill to suspend cooperation between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
The bill was passed following the US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites last week. Iran denounced the attack and lashed out at the IAEA, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog. On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that IAEA head Rafael Grossi's request to visit the bombed nuclear sites is "meaningless and possibly even malign in intent."
The IAEA accused Iran of increasing its stockpiles of near weapons-grade uranium in the months leading up to the US attack.
In an interview with CBS aired on Tuesday, Araghchi said that the heavily fortified Fordow nuclear site was "seriously and heavily damaged."
Israel says 'Iranian-operated terrorist cell' caught in Syria
Debris and military vehicles lie at the scene of an Israeli strike in Syria's southern Hama governorate on April 3, 2025. — ABDULAZIZ KETAZ/AFP via Getty Images
The Israeli military announced Wednesday it had completed an operation to "apprehend an Iranian-operated terrorist cell" in southern Syria. The Syrian government did not immediately comment.
The incursion comes amid talks between Israel and Syria aimed at de-escalating tensions. Al-Monitor's Ben Caspit reported on Tuesday that those talks have included discussions on Israeli troop withdrawals from Syria, revising the border agreement between the two countries and the deployment of US troops to the area.
Israel sent its forces into southern Syria in December, arguing that the 1974 border agreement was no longer valid following the collapse of President Bashar al-Assad's government. The new government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa has condemned Israel's military actions. Sharaa confirmed in May that indirect talks with Israel have taken place.
Turkey's ruling party says PKK disarmament to begin
Kurdish youths holds a poster of jailed PKK militant group leader Abdullah Ocalan during Newroz celebrations, Diyarbakir, Turkey, March 21, 2025. — Sedat Suna/Getty Images
Justice and Development Party spokesperson Omer Celik told reporters on Tuesday that the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) could begin its disarmament "within days."
The outlawed PKK announced in May it was ending its decades-long fight against the Turkish state after imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan ordered the group to disarm and dissolve as part of peace talks with the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Celik made the comments after the Iraqi Kurdish news outlet Rudaw reported that 20-30 militants would lay down their arms in a ceremony to be held between July 3 and July 10. Read Ezgi Akin's report.