President Donald Trump spoke Thursday about the ongoing conflict in Gaza, expressing his desire to secure the freedom of as many captives as possible.
While traveling aboard Air Force One, Trump responded to a question regarding the Gaza initiative he had unveiled in February, which included a plan for the United States to assume control of the area and begin reconstruction, while relocating its population elsewhere.
“Well, we’re going to try and solve the Gaza problem. It’s been a problem for many years, for many, many decades. It’s been a big problem,” said Trump, characterizing the decades-long crisis.
Addressing the hostage issue, Trump stated, “I’ve met with, as you know, a lot of the hostages. It’s a terrible situation. But if you notice, hostages are being released now, and that’s happened only since I got involved. So we have hostages being released, quite a few, actually. I’d like to get as many hostages as we can.”
Trump also reflected on the region itself, saying, “Gaza’s a very, very important thing. It’s been under siege for many, many years. It’s a shame. A lot of people die in Gaza. A lot of bad things happen in Gaza. We’ll see what we can do about it.”
These remarks come as talks over a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal remain at an impasse.
Just a day earlier, a senior Hamas representative declared that the group had declined to answer Israel’s latest ceasefire offer, instead maintaining its support for a deal shaped by international mediators.
Israel had called off a previous truce in mid-March and launched an unexpected offensive on Hamas positions after the terror group failed to release more hostages and dismissed a ceasefire plan advanced by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
Later, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reaffirmed Trump’s backing of Israel’s military operation in Gaza, stating that President Donald Trump “fully supports” Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip.
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz echoed that stance, defending Israel’s response against Hamas.
“Israel has every right to defend its people from Hamas terrorists. The ceasefire would have been extended if Hamas released all remaining hostages. Instead, they chose war,” Waltz posted on X.

{Matzav.com}