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U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that ceasefire negotiations for the Gaza Strip are progressing and could result in an agreement within days.
Speaking during a meeting with African leaders, Trump said, “We’re getting very close to a deal,” adding that the priority is achieving peace and securing the release of hostages.
While acknowledging uncertainty about the outcome, Trump said there is a “very good chance” of reaching a ceasefire agreement this week or the next.
The statement came shortly after U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff voiced support for an interim ceasefire. Witkoff said on Tuesday that he hopes for a 60-day truce to be finalized by the end of the week, highlighting ongoing progress in indirect negotiations.
“We are hopeful that by the end of this week, we will have an agreement that will bring us into a 60-day ceasefire,” Witkoff noted, referring to the ongoing proximity talks between relevant parties.
He added that the proposed deal would include the return of 10 living hostages held by Palestinian militants since October 2023, as well as the bodies of nine deceased hostages. Out of the 251 individuals taken hostage during the October attacks, 49 remain in captivity in Gaza. According to the Israeli military, 27 of those are believed to be dead.
Hamas spokesperson Taher al-Nunu told Al Jazeera that the group is demonstrating “considerable flexibility” in the ongoing talks. He stated that Hamas is prepared to release 10 Israeli hostages as part of a deal that would grant broader humanitarian access and require an end to Israeli military activity in Gaza.
Al-Nunu underlined that Hamas still views two demands as non-negotiable: a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and a total cessation of hostilities.
In parallel, Israel’s top military official, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, said Wednesday that conditions are now favorable for a potential agreement on hostage releases in Gaza.
“We have achieved many significant results,” Zamir stated in a televised address. “Thanks to the operational power that we have demonstrated, the conditions have been created to advance a deal to release the hostages.”
Zamir claimed Israel has inflicted considerable damage on Hamas’s command and military infrastructure, which he said has paved the way for negotiations.
The United Nations on Wednesday expressed firm opposition to any forced displacement of Palestinians, following comments by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz proposing the relocation of Gaza’s population to a “humanitarian city” built on the ruins of Rafah.
“It’s not the first time we’ve heard of such projects. We firmly stand against any forced displacement of people,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, warning it would further endanger civilians.
Katz said the army had been instructed to prepare for the relocation, with plans for eventual emigration from Gaza. Meanwhile, the UN cited growing humanitarian concerns, including fatal strikes on medical staff, a collapsing healthcare system, and restricted humanitarian access.
Dujarric reported that over 1,500 medical workers have been killed since October 2023 and warned of rising cases of meningitis, bloody diarrhea, and jaundice among young children.
He also criticized the U.S.-Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), stating that a food distribution system where people are routinely killed “is not humanitarian” under international norms.
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