Trump: Gaza Deal Is Very Close

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U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that a ceasefire agreement in Gaza is “very close.”

He made the statement during a press conference in The Hague, Netherlands, alongside members of his administration and the Secretary General of NATO, on the sidelines of the NATO summit that began the day before and is set to last two days.

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When asked by a journalist whether an agreement in Gaza was possible—similar to the recent Iran-Israel deal—Trump said: “I spoke with (U.S. Middle East envoy Steve) Weitzkopf, and he told me a Gaza deal is very close.”

He added: “The strike on Iran will help facilitate the release of hostages from Gaza.”

Trump’s remarks came one day after Iran and Israel reached a ceasefire agreement, ending a 12-day war between the two arch-rivals.

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On June 13, Israel launched attacks on Iran, targeting nuclear facilities and top military figures. Iran responded with strikes deep into Israeli territory.

Last Sunday night, the U.S. intervened by striking three Iranian nuclear sites, including the underground uranium enrichment facility at Fordow.

Iran vowed to retaliate, which it did on Monday by targeting the U.S. Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

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Calls for a Gaza Deal

Alongside the announcement of the Iran-Israel ceasefire, calls emerged within Israel to extend the truce to another volatile front: Gaza.

A group advocating for the return of hostages held in Gaza urged that the ceasefire with Iran be expanded to include the war-torn territory.

In a statement, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said: “If it’s possible to achieve a ceasefire with Iran, then ending the war in Gaza is also possible.”

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The forum emphasized that the ceasefire “must be extended to Gaza,” calling on the government to “engage in urgent negotiations to bring all the hostages home and end the war.”

It added: “After 12 sleepless days and nights due to Iran, we can now go back to losing sleep over the hostages.”

There are still 50 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. The Israeli government believes around 20 of them are still alive.

The forum warned: “Ending this crucial operation against Iran without leveraging it to retrieve our hostages would be a devastating failure. This is a valuable opportunity.”

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Opposition Joins the Gaza Push

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid echoed this sentiment, posting on X (formerly Twitter): “Now, Gaza. This is the time to close that front too. Retrieve the hostages. End the war. Israel must begin rebuilding.”

The war in Gaza began after an unprecedented Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which left 1,219 people dead, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Since then, Israel has waged a devastating campaign in Gaza, killing 56,077 people, the vast majority civilians, according to the latest figures from the Hamas-run Ministry of Health.

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