TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump urged for advancement in ceasefire negotiations amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, advocating for a resolution to halt the fighting that has persisted for 20 months. Current indications suggest that Israel and Hamas might be drawing closer to a possible agreement.
An Israeli official revealed that preparations are underway for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s potential visit to Washington in the coming weeks, which could signal progress towards a new accord. The official requested anonymity to discuss plans that remain in the planning stages.
On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump emphasized his call to “MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!” early Sunday, interspersed with updates on a Senate vote concerning his tax and spending cuts legislation.
Anticipating a ceasefire agreement within a week, Trump stated on Friday, “We’re working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of,” during a session with reporters.
Despite an eight-week ceasefire that coincided with the beginning of Trump’s presidency earlier this year, subsequent efforts to broker a new agreement have faltered.
In a related development, Ron Dermer, a senior adviser to Netanyahu and Israel’s Minister for Strategic Affairs, is scheduled to visit Washington this week for discussions on a ceasefire.
Trump post slams Netanyahu corruption trial
Trump’s commentary concerning Gaza was not his only focus on Middle Eastern affairs over the weekend. He also reiterated his criticism of the corruption trial facing Netanyahu, denouncing it as “a POLITICAL WITCH HUNT, very similar to the Witch Hunt that I was forced to endure.”
In his Truth Social post, Trump claimed that the trial was obstructing critical discussions regarding a Gaza ceasefire.
“(Netanyahu) is right now in the process of negotiating a Deal with Hamas, which will include getting the Hostages back. How is it possible that the Prime Minister of Israel can be forced to sit in a Courtroom all day long, over NOTHING,” Trump wrote.
This statement echoed previous remarks made by Trump, in which he called for the cancellation of Netanyahu’s trial. Such proposals have raised eyebrows in Israel, a nation where Trump enjoys considerable support, yet they have also stirred unease regarding the impact of international involvement in domestic legal issues.
Israeli military orders new evacuations in northern Gaza
On Sunday, the Israeli military issued a directive for the evacuation of Palestinians residing in extensive areas of northern Gaza, a region that has endured significant devastation due to ongoing conflicts.
Military spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee announced on social media that the evacuation order encompasses several neighborhoods in eastern and northern Gaza City, as well as the Jabaliya refugee camp.
Adraee indicated that military operations would intensify in the city’s northern region, urging residents to relocate southward to the Muwasi area in southern Gaza.
In the wake of earlier mass evacuations, during which hundreds of thousands left their homes, many have returned to northern Gaza during a temporary ceasefire earlier this year.
The current Israeli military campaign aims to facilitate operational freedom for troops by relocating Palestinians to southern Gaza, a move that human rights organizations have denounced as a form of forced relocation.
A sticking point over how the war ends
The conflict in Gaza ignited with Hamas’s assault on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and the capture of approximately 250 hostages, with about 50 still unaccounted for, most of whom are feared dead.
Israel’s retaliatory strikes have claimed over 56,000 lives, according to local health authorities, who do not differentiate between militants and civilians in their reports, but indicate that more than half of those deceased are women and children.
This ongoing warfare has created a dire humanitarian crisis, displacing the majority of Gaza’s population multiple times and devastating much of the region’s urban infrastructure.
Negotiations between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly stalled, primarily over a central issue: the conditions necessary for ceasing hostilities as part of any ceasefire agreement.
Hamas representative Mahmoud Merdawi accused Netanyahu of deliberately delaying progress, asserting that the Israeli Prime Minister seeks a temporary agreement that would only secure the release of 10 hostages. A spokesperson for Netanyahu did not immediately comment on the allegations.
Hamas has expressed readiness to release all hostages in exchange for a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and an end to the conflict, a proposal Israel has dismissed, demanding that Hamas disarm and enter exile, a condition the militant group rejects.
