Trump poised to announce Gaza ceasefire – report

US President Donald Trump is reportedly set to announce a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip within the next few days, as part of a deal including the release of Israeli hostages.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News 

US President Donald Trump will announce in the next few days that a deal has been reached between Israel and the Hamas terror organization for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, unnamed sources told UK-UAE broadcaster Sky News Arabia in a report published on Monday morning.

According to the report, Trump is pressuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pause the IDF’s new campaign against Hamas, dubbed Operation Gideon’s Chariots, and has privately expressed his dissatisfaction with the ongoing war.

Publicly, Trump hinted at some major development regarding Gaza, while emphasizing his desire to end the war there “as quickly as possible.”

“I think we could have some good news on the Iran front,” Trump told reporters on Sunday, “likewise with Hamas on Gaza.”

“We want to see if we can stop that – and Israel, we’ve been talking to them, we want to see if we can stop that whole situation as quickly as possible.”

Sources cited in Monday’s report said that the Trump administration has opened up an alternative communications channel to the Hamas leadership, utilizing contacts established by Arab-American businessman Bishara A. Bahbah, chairman of the Arab Americans for Peace group, formerly known as Arab Americans for Trump.

The ceasefire Trump plans to announce, the report said, is based on the framework proposed by White House Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and is said to span 60 days.

It reportedly includes a hostage release, with Hamas returning an unspecified number of captives to Israel in exchange for the freeing of jailed Arab terrorists.

Recent hostage deal proposals have floated numbers of living hostages to be freed ranging from 7 to 10, with some number of deceased captives’ remains also to be returned.