President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed their belief that a ceasefire with Hamas is nearing fruition. “I tell you we’re very close to the deal,” Trump stated during a press interaction, adding that while he wasn’t sure if it was a secret, the outcome was paramount: achieving a ceasefire. “We want peace, we want to bring hostages back, and I think we’re making progress,” he remarked.
In a conversation with Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo, Netanyahu echoed these sentiments, stating a “good chance” exists for establishing a 60-day ceasefire. Following a meeting with Trump, he mentioned that if the deal materializes, half of the live hostages and half of those deceased would be returned to Israel, indicating he thinks they are getting closer to this agreement.
As Trump’s discussions with Netanyahu progressed, he was expected to urge the Israeli leader to conclude military operations in Gaza and facilitate the return of hostages. Currently, Israel is evaluating the situation concerning 28 deceased hostages, including Khadar Goldin, taken in 2014, along with 27 hostages captured during the October 7 incident. While 22 individuals are still considered alive, some comments from Netanyahu suggest uncertainty surrounding the fate of others. He remarked on the need to resolve the situation by stating, “I’m committed to taking them all out and eliminating Hamas from the picture,” comparing the group to the Nazi SS.
Steve Witkov, a special envoy to the Middle East, also mentioned plans to travel to Doha for ongoing negotiations that commenced recently. He was reported to be relatively optimistic about reaching an agreement soon.
The exact hurdles in these negotiations remain unclear. However, Israel’s military engagement in Gaza and the dynamics concerning Palestinian aid have complicated talks. Bartiromo raised concerns about tensions between the international community and Israel regarding aid distribution through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Netanyahu argued that they have created their own system to prevent Hamas from seizing supplies meant for the people, asserting that the group misappropriates resources and essentially inflicts hardship on the Palestinian population while using the situation to recruit for their militant endeavors.
Despite ongoing issues, Netanyahu insists that he aims to maintain an aid distribution system that prevents Hamas from misusing resources as a recruitment tool and turning aid supplies into a commodity for the black market.
Although the UN is actively sending aid to Gaza, its efforts have faced repeated setbacks due to attacks by suspected Hamas operatives. Netanyahu expressed hope that both the UN and the GHF would continue distributing aid according to the proposed 60-day plan.
