Donald Trump has welcomed Hamas’s reaction to the American ceasefire -fire and hostage proposal for Gaza.
After the militant group said on Friday that it was ready to make conversations to end the war with Israel, without confirming that it had accepted conditions, the American president said reporters that the Hamas response was “good” and suggested that a deal could be closed next week.
Hamas Captivity Survivor Keith Siegel said in a media statement shared with Newsweek That Trump is “the only one” who can close an extensive deal that can bring the remaining prisoners home.
Newsweek has contacted the Israeli government for comment.
Samuel Core / Getty images
Why it matters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Trump on Monday in Washington, DC. The positive reaction of Hamas and the comments of the US President that a deal could happen next week has speculated that an end to the war could be for almost 21 months between Israel and Hamas.
What to know
Trump had said on Tuesday that Israel had agreed the conditions needed for a cease-fire of 60 days to end the war that followed the attacks of Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, 2023; About 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 hostage.
The bombing of Israel on Gaza has since killed more than 57,000, According to the Associated Press, With reference to local health officials.
Hamas said on Friday that it had responded in “a positive spirit” to an American cease-fire proposal and was ready for conversations.
Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Friday that he welcomed Hamas’s reaction as “good” and hoped that there would be a deal next week.
Hamas had asked for changes in the deal; These include the termination of a assistance system of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) supported by the UN and its partners, as well as the American guarantees that the war would not resume if the teams fail, the BBC reported, referring to a Palestinian officer.
The plan is also supposed to include the spread release of 10 living Israeli hostages and the bodies of 18 other hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners who are held in Israeli prisons. About 50 hostages are held in Gaza, of whom at least 20 is supposed to live.
The Goshostages and Missing Families forum has demanded a deal to end the war and release the remaining hostages. Thousands are expected to join hostages at rallies in Israel on Saturday to encourage the government to reach a deal to free the prisoners.
In a statement via the forum provides to Newsweek On Friday, Hamas Captivity -surviving Keith Siegel said that he and his family were grateful for Trump for prioritizing the hostage crisis, but only an extensive deal can bring them home.
“President Donald Trump, you are the only one who is possible,” said Siegel. “End the war, bring them home, create a better future for the middle -east.”
What people say
Hamas said in a statement It consulted the last proposal of the mediators to stop the war in Gaza and that it “was fully prepared, with all seriousness, to immediately introduce a new negotiation round about the mechanism for the performance of this framework.”
President Donald Trump said: “They (Hamas) said they gave me a positive reaction? Well, that’s good. There could be a Gaza deal next week.”
Mayar Al Farr, a 13-year-old Palestinian girl, Reuters said: “A long ago -it should have been -Fires before I lost my brother.”
Hamas Captivity Survivor Keith Siegel said in a statement: “My family and I are eternally grateful for President Donald Trump for prioritizing the hostage crisis since day one of his presidency and to bring me at home. Fifty hostages are still in Hamas imprisonment. Only an extensive deal can bring them all home.”
What happens afterwards
Given Trump’s comments that a deal could be reached next week, there will be anticipation in the next step, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Trump in Washington on Monday.
The Israeli leader has repeatedly said that Hamas must be disarmed, but it is thought that this is something that the militant group has so far refused to discuss. The times of Israel Krant reported that Netanyahu was working with Trump on a deal to end the war, despite the opposition of the right -wing flank of his government.
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