Peace deal on Gaza coming soon - Trump
Photo: Donald Trump, President of the United States (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump said he believes a deal on Gaza will be reached very soon, according to CNN.
"I meant to go back and see you in the plane, but some things came up having to do with Hamas, etc., and we’re working on a solution that maybe could be very good," Trump told reporters after arriving back in Washington from attending the US Open in New York.
When asked to provide details, the US president promised more information soon.
"You’ll be hearing about it very soon. We’re trying to get it ended, get the hostages back." He added that "we had some very good discussions."
Trump expressed confidence that the remaining Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip, as well as the bodies of the dead, will be released and returned.
"It could be a little bit less than 20 because some, you know, they tend to die, right? They tend to die even though they’re young people, they’re largely dying. … But with this whole thing, they tend to die. But we have, let’s say, 20 people, and we have about 38 bodies," he said.
Background
On Sunday, CNN reported that the US had put forward new principles for a Middle East ceasefire, calling for the immediate release of hostages and the start of negotiations for a comprehensive end to the war.
According to two Israeli officials, these principles were conveyed to Hamas. In addition, Trump wrote on social media that he had issued the group a "final warning."
Later, Hamas confirmed that it had received "some ideas" from the US administration through intermediaries aimed at reaching an agreement with Israel on halting the fighting in Gaza and releasing hostages. The group also said it was ready to come to the negotiating table.
