President Donald Trump has expressed optimism that hostages held by Hamas in Gaza could be freed “very soon,” as Egyptian mediators prepare to host indirect peace talks between Israel and Hamas on Monday.
The negotiations follow Hamas’s partial acceptance of a 20-point U.S.-brokered peace plan that includes releasing hostages and transferring Gaza’s administration to a council of Palestinian technocrats. However, the group has resisted demands for full disarmament and exclusion from Gaza’s future governance, leaving key details unresolved.
Trump told reporters that “everybody has pretty much agreed” to the deal, adding, “It’s a great deal for Israel, it’s a great deal for the entire Arab world, Muslim world, and world, so we’re very happy about it.” He suggested talks were “going very well” but acknowledged that minor adjustments could still occur.
Despite Washington’s push for calm, Israeli air strikes continued across Gaza over the weekend. Government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said no formal ceasefire was in place but noted that some bombing operations had halted.
Reports from Gaza described overnight air raids and tank fire destroying several residential buildings in Gaza City. Hamas-run health officials said 65 people were killed in the past 24 hours as the conflict entered another tense phase ahead of the Cairo meetings.
