‘Trump wants Gaza war to end,’ says White House

White House says President Trump pushing for end to the war in Gaza and return of remaining hostages, as Netanyahu takes conciliatory steps to avoid spat with the US.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

The Trump administration is pushing for an end to the war in the Gaza Strip, while a senior administration official denied reports that the U.S. is prepared to “abandon” Israel if it continues its expanded ground operation against Hamas.

On Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump is actively working to end both the wars in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip as quickly as possible, while demanding that Hamas release the remaining 58 hostages.

“The president has made it very clear he wants to see this conflict in the region end,” said Leavitt of the war between Israel and Hamas. “He wants all hostages to be released. He was pleased that Edan Alexander was returned home safely to his loving family.”

“The president is moving as quickly as he possibly can and working overtime to end these conflicts in both Israel and Gaza and also the Russia-Ukraine war,” Leavitt continued. “The president made it very clear to Hamas that he wanted to see all hostages released.”

Trump, according to Leavitt, is motivated both by his desire to “save lives” as well as by his concerns over the cost of the wars in Gaza and Ukraine to the United States.

“The president is always thinking about the American people, the American taxpayer first. He wants these conflicts to end, not just to save money, but most importantly, to save lives.”

Earlier on Monday, an unnamed source told The Washington Post that the Trump administration is prepared to “abandon” Israel if the IDF continues its war in the Gaza Strip.

However, multiple sources pushed back on the claim, including U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who told Yedioth Aharanoth that the report “is nonsense.”

“They need to listen to what the president says, not what some uninformed ‘source’ pretends to know.”

A senior U.S. official who spoke with The Times of Israel on condition of anonymity echoed Huckabee’s comments, calling the Post report “preposterous.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signaled his willingness to continue efforts to reach a truce agreement with Hamas, however, despite the apparent deadlock in negotiations in Doha, Qatar.

While the talks have reached an impasse, an Israeli official told KAN, Netanyahu has instructed Israel’s delegation to remain in Doha “in order not to offend the United States.”

“It won’t look good if Israel leaves Doha before Hamas.”

On Monday night, Netanyahu issued a statement emphasizing that “Israel accepts President Trump’s vision” in Gaza, and that Israel is prepared to immediately end the war permanently should Hamas agree to the terms laid out by U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.

“The war can end tomorrow if the remaining hostages are released, Hamas lays down its arms, its murderous leaders are exiled and Gaza is demilitarized. No nation can be expected to accept anything less and Israel certainly won’t.”