Gaza Truce: Trump Anticipates a Deal Soon, Hamas Responds

U.S. President Donald Trump stated early Monday that he believed a deal concerning the Gaza Strip could be reached “very soon.”

On Sunday, Trump had issued what he described as a “final warning” to Hamas, stressing that the Palestinian movement must agree to a deal for the release of Israeli hostages.

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In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: “The Israelis have accepted my conditions. It is time for Hamas to do the same. I have warned Hamas of the consequences of refusal.”

For its part, Hamas announced in a statement on Sunday that it was “immediately ready” to engage in negotiations after receiving a new proposal from Washington. The group noted it had “received, through mediators, certain ideas from the American side aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement.” It added that it welcomed “any initiative that could contribute to efforts to end the aggression against our people.”

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Hamas further confirmed it was prepared to “sit immediately at the negotiating table to discuss the release of all prisoners, in exchange for a clear declaration ending the war, a complete withdrawal from the Strip, and the establishment of a committee of independent Palestinians to administer Gaza.”

Trump’s renewed warning comes months after a similar ultimatum he issued in March, following a meeting with eight hostages who had been freed from Gaza. His latest remarks were also made two days after he suggested that a higher number of hostages might have died than previously acknowledged. He added that the United States was engaged in “in-depth negotiations” with Hamas amid Israel’s renewed offensive on Gaza City, which has raised growing concerns among hostage families regarding their fate.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that his forces were “deepening” their offensive in Gaza City and its surroundings, after his government decided to seize control of the largest urban center in the devastated enclave.

Although Israel has not officially announced the launch of a full-scale assault to capture Gaza City, the area has witnessed intensified bombardments and military operations for weeks. This week, the Israeli army began issuing evacuation warnings for several high-rise buildings, accusing Hamas of using them for military purposes.

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The war began following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which killed 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Out of the 251 people abducted in that attack, 47 remain in captivity in Gaza, with 25 confirmed dead, according to the Israeli army.

Israeli airstrikes and military operations in Gaza have killed at least 64,455 people, the majority civilians, according to the latest figures from the Hamas-run Ministry of Health.

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