US President Donald Trump has said that a deal to end the nearly two-year war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is within reach. Trump made the announcement on Thursday during a joint press briefing at the Oval Office alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
“We want to get Gaza over with,” Trump said. “I think we’re close to getting some kind of deal done.”
The US President also stressed that bringing home the remaining hostages was a top priority. “We want to get the hostages back, I have to get the hostages back,” Trump said. According to him, around 20 hostages are still alive, while nearly 38 are believed to have died. “Pretty sad, and the parents of those dead souls, those dead, mostly men, boys, in many cases—they want those bodies back so badly,” he added.
Over the past week, the Trump administration has stepped up efforts to end the conflict in Gaza. Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff have been in talks with world leaders, including heads of Muslim-majority countries, to push for a breakthrough.
On Wednesday, both Rubio and Witkoff said they were confident that “some sort of breakthrough” on Gaza would come soon. Witkoff revealed that Trump’s 21-point peace plan for the Middle East was presented to several Arab leaders during meetings on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
According to Politico, Trump also addressed one of the most sensitive issues raised by Arab leaders: the future of the West Bank. He reportedly assured them that he would not allow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to move forward with annexing the territory, a step that has long worried regional leaders.
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Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
