President Donald Trump stated on Friday that discussions surrounding a potential truce and hostage exchange deal in Gaza are advancing, and he anticipates a formal update might be released either later in the day or by Shabbos.
Trump further noted that negotiations with Iran concerning its nuclear program also appear to be progressing.
“They’re very close to an agreement on Gaza, and we’ll let you know about it during the day or maybe tomorrow, and I think we have a chance of making a deal with Iran. They don’t want to be blown up, they would rather make a deal, and I think that could happen in the not too distant future,” he said.
Trump continued by emphasizing that the United States seeks stability and prosperity for Iran but made clear that Tehran’s nuclear ambitions must be curbed.
“We want them to be safe. We want them to have a very, very successful nation. Let it be a great nation, but we can’t have that. They cannot have a nuclear weapon. It’s very simple. And I think we’re fairly close to a deal with Iran,” added Trump.
These remarks followed reports in the Arab media on Thursday claiming that both Hamas and Israel had accepted a 60-day ceasefire plan introduced by Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. According to those reports, Trump was expected to unveil the specifics of the agreement imminently.
An Israeli diplomatic source rejected those claims, stating that the Israeli government had not been made aware of Hamas agreeing to Witkoff’s terms.
Shortly afterward, a high-ranking Hamas representative said, “Witkoff’s new proposal does not meet our demands, but we are still examining it.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu informed the families of Israeli captives that Israel had given its approval to the ceasefire framework proposed by Witkoff.
Nevertheless, Netanyahu made it clear that this development does not indicate a conclusion to the ongoing military campaign in Gaza.
{Matzav.com}