Former U.S. President Donald Trump is intensely focused on ending the ongoing conflict in Gaza. He has been issuing a series of warnings to Hamas. A meeting involving delegations from Hamas, Israel, and the United States is scheduled to take place in Egypt on Monday to discuss a ceasefire. Prior to the meeting, Trump urged all parties involved in the Gaza ceasefire talks to expedite the process.
Trump implored negotiators to ‘move fast’ to bring an end to the nearly two-year-long conflict in Gaza. The meeting is set to occur in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Reports suggest that both Hamas and Israel have responded positively to Trump’s peace deal. In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump stated that there have been very positive discussions this week with Hamas and countries around the world regarding the release of hostages, ending the war in Gaza, and establishing lasting peace in the Middle East. He emphasized that these talks have been very successful and are progressing rapidly. Technical teams are scheduled to reconvene in Egypt on Monday to finalize and clarify the remaining details. Trump appealed to everyone to ‘move fast’ as time is of the essence. He warned that if progress isn’t made, ‘blood will be shed, which nobody wants to see!’
Senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya arrived in Egypt on Sunday with a delegation to engage in indirect talks with Israel. The objective of these talks is to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and reach an agreement on the release of hostages. A senior Hamas official told AFP that the organization is eager to end the war and immediately begin the process of releasing prisoners in accordance with the conditions on the ground. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his hope that the release of hostages could be possible within the coming days.
Trump previously urged Israel to cease attacks on Gaza. However, Israeli attacks have continued. On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio appealed to Israel to halt the bombing of Gaza, asserting that the release of hostages cannot occur amidst the bombings. However, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense Agency, at least 20 people were killed in Israeli attacks on Sunday.
Earlier, Trump had given Hamas a deadline of 6 p.m. Sunday to accept the peace plan. In a previous post, he warned that if the final deal was not reached, Hamas would face a level of devastation never before witnessed.