Former US President Donald Trump has said that a ceasefire agreement for Gaza is close and could be reached as early as next week.
Speaking to reporters, Trump stated that people are dying in Gaza while no one is helping the population of the besieged Strip — “while we are the ones doing that,” he claimed.
On Thursday, Israel Hayom reported that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are working on a plan to end the war on Gaza within two weeks. According to a report by Ariel Kahana, the newspaper’s White House correspondent, Trump and Netanyahu have been speaking almost daily throughout the 12-day “Rising Lion” operation — including on the eve of the US strike on Iran’s Fordow facility and afterward — with Secretary of State, National Security Advisor Marco Rubio, and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer also involved in the calls. The report noted the leaders’ satisfaction, not just with military developments but also with the broader plans they intend to implement in the coming weeks.
Israel Hayom revealed that Trump and Netanyahu are planning to broker new “peace deals” between Israel and Arab states as part of expanding the so-called Abraham Accords. Central to this understanding is ending the war on Gaza within two weeks, contingent on conditions including the release of all 50 Israeli hostages and the removal of the remaining Hamas leadership from the Strip.
The report also mentioned proposals for several countries to absorb Gazans who wish to leave the enclave, the expansion of the Abraham Accords to include more Arab and Islamic nations, and Israel’s expected willingness to present a vision for resolving the broader conflict with the Palestinians. The US would also reportedly recognise a measure of Israeli sovereignty over parts of the occupied West Bank (Judea and Samaria in Israeli terminology).
This ambitious plan, discussed last Tuesday night, is expected to move quickly, with the first step being an end to the Gaza war. However, according to the paper, no final agreements have been reached on any of its components, and implementing the plan remains highly complicated — especially the issue of the ongoing war.
Two political sources told Israel Hayom that even before the “Rising Lion” operation, Trump was pressing Netanyahu to end the military campaign in Gaza and continued to do so afterward. The paper added that reaching an agreement to end the war and secure the hostages’ release remains the most difficult goal. On the eve of Israel’s conflict with Iran, Netanyahu reportedly showed more flexibility compared to his previous stances, but Hamas has not reciprocated. Without Hamas showing similar flexibility, the report suggests, there may be no alternative to further escalation despite Trump’s desire to bring the war to an end.
Efforts to expand the Abraham Accords to include additional Arab countries were already in motion before the war, particularly with Saudi Arabia. Further developments reportedly took place toward the end of President Biden’s term.
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