President Trump on Sunday called for a deal on Israel’s war in Gaza and the hostages held in the territory to be released.
“MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!! DJT,” Trump said in an early morning post on Truth Social.
Trump’s push for a deal and the release of the hostages comes after the U.S.’s recent involvement in a conflict between Israel and Iran via strikes on nuclear sites and a ceasefire between the two countries.
The war in Gaza began with the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in which 1,200 people were killed by the group and over 250 people were taken hostage. The Israelis’ war in the territory has also killed over 55,000 people, with much of the infrastructure of Gaza destroyed and the amount of supplies needed for survival running thin.
The Washington Post reported last Friday that Trump said he believed in the rapid approach of a ceasefire in Gaza.
“I just spoke with some of the people involved,” Trump said, per the Post. “It’s a terrible situation that’s going on in Gaza … We think within the next week we’re going to get a ceasefire.”
The U.S. recently vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution urging an “immediate and permanent” ceasefire in the Gaza Strip due to the measure not including the release of the hostages held by Hamas as a condition for the truce.
