A common view of destruction in North Gaza, as seen from the Israeli facet of the Israel-Gaza border, on Could 17, 2025.
Amir Cohen | Reuters
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday pleaded for progress in ceasefire talks within the battle in Gaza, calling for a deal that might halt the preventing within the 20-month-long battle as Israel and Hamas seemed to be inching nearer to an settlement.
An Israeli official mentioned plans had been being made for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to journey to Washington within the coming weeks, an indication there could also be motion on a brand new deal. The official declined to debate the main focus of the go to and spoke on situation of anonymity to debate plans that had not but been finalized.
“MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!” Trump wrote on his social media platform Fact Social early Sunday between posts about a Senate vote on his tax and spending cuts invoice.
Trump raised expectations Friday for a deal, saying there might be a ceasefire settlement inside the subsequent week. Taking questions from reporters, he mentioned, “We’re engaged on Gaza and making an attempt to get it taken care of.”
Trump has repeatedly referred to as for Israel and Hamas to finish the battle in Gaza. Regardless of an eight-week ceasefire reached simply as Trump was taking workplace earlier this 12 months, makes an attempt since then to deliver the edges towards a brand new settlement have failed.
A high adviser to Netanyahu, Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, was set to journey to Washington this week for talks on a ceasefire.
Trump publish slams Netanyahu corruption trial
The Gaza message wasn’t the one Center East-related publish by Trump. On Saturday night, he doubled down on his criticism of the authorized proceedings in opposition to Netanyahu, who’s on trial for alleged corruption, calling it “a POLITICAL WITCH HUNT, similar to the Witch Hunt that I used to be pressured to endure.”
Within the publish on Fact Social, he mentioned the trial interfered with talks on a Gaza ceasefire.
“(Netanyahu) is true now within the strategy of negotiating a Cope with Hamas, which can embody getting the Hostages again. How is it doable that the Prime Minister of Israel might be pressured to take a seat in a Courtroom all day lengthy, over NOTHING,” Trump wrote.
The publish echoed comparable remarks Trump made final week when he referred to as for the trial to be canceled. It was a dramatic interference by a world ally within the home affairs of a sovereign state. And it unnerved many in Israel, regardless of Trump’s reputation within the nation.
Israeli army orders new evacuations in northern Gaza
The Israeli army on Sunday ordered a mass evacuation of Palestinians in giant swaths of northern Gaza, an early goal of the battle that has been severely broken by a number of rounds of preventing.
Col. Avichay Adraee, a army spokesperson, posted the order on social media. It contains a number of neighborhoods in jap and northern Gaza Metropolis, in addition to the Jabaliya refugee camp.
The army will broaden its escalating assaults to the town’s northern part, calling for individuals to maneuver southward to the Muwasi space in southern Gaza, Adraee mentioned.
After being all however emptied earlier within the battle, a whole lot of 1000’s of individuals are in northern Gaza following their return throughout a ceasefire earlier this 12 months.
An Israeli army offensive presently underway goals to maneuver Palestinians to southern Gaza so forces can extra freely function to fight militants. Rights teams say their motion would quantity to forcible switch.
A sticking level over how the battle ends
The battle in Gaza started with Oct. 7, 2023, assaults by Hamas during which militants killed 1,200 individuals and took roughly 250 hostage, about 50 of whom stay captive with lower than half believed to be alive.
Israel’s retaliatory response has killed greater than 56,000 individuals, based on native well being authorities, who don’t distinguish between militants and civilians of their depend however say greater than half of the lifeless are ladies and kids.
The battle has set off a humanitarian disaster, displaced most of Gaza’s inhabitants, typically a number of occasions, and obliterated a lot of the territory’s city panorama.
Talks between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly faltered over one main sticking level, whether or not the battle ought to finish as a part of any ceasefire settlement.
Hamas official Mahmoud Merdawi accused Netanyahu of stalling progress on a deal, saying in remarks on the Telegram messaging app that the Israeli chief insists on a short lived settlement that might free simply 10 of the hostages. A Netanyahu spokesperson didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Hamas says it’s prepared to free all of the hostages in change for a full withdrawal of Israeli troops and an finish to the battle. Israel rejects that provide, saying it’s going to agree to finish the battle if Hamas disarms and goes into exile, one thing the group refuses.
