President Donald Trump expressed hope Monday that talks to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas would be resolved within the coming week.
The U.S. supports a plan involving a 60-day ceasefire, phased hostage releases, Israeli troop withdrawals from parts of Gaza and negotiations aimed at ending the conflict. Speaking to reporters, Trump said, “We are talking and hopefully we’re going to get that straightened out over the next week.”
Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said he remained optimistic about the ceasefire talks. Witkoff told reporters in Teterboro, New Jersey, that he planned to meet senior Qatari officials on the sidelines of the FIFA Club World Cup final, held Sunday evening.
Meanwhile, the hostage families voiced opposition to a partial deal, warning that leaving some hostages in Hamas’s hands would give the group a continued bargaining chip. “These hostages will remain captive for many years and Hamas will have no incentive to release them once it gets everything it wants,” they said.
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They also criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of abandoning the military gains made at high cost.