Trump tells Israel, Hamas to 'make the deal' on ceasefire and get hostages returned
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U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday morning called for an agreement to return Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
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'Make the deal in Gaza. Get the hostages back!!! DJT,' Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, employing his initials.
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The online post comes after the president on Friday indicated that a ceasefire-for-captives agreement could be hammered out in the near future.
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'I think it's close. I just spoke to some of the people involved. We think within the next week we're going to get a ceasefire,' Trump told reporters gathered in the Oval Office at the White House.
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Terrorists in the Gaza Strip are holding 50 hostages, according to Israeli estimates. They are 49 of the 251 people abducted by Hamas-led terrorists during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack, and the body of Lt. Hadar Goldin, an Israeli soldier killed in Gaza on Aug. 1, 2014. Of these, 28 are confirmed dead according to the Israel Defense Forces, and about 20 are believed to be alive, with grave concerns for the well-being of two others.
On Saturday, Trump reiterated his call from earlier in the week to end Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial. Calling the premier a 'war hero' who did a 'fabulous job' coordinating with the United States on ending the Iranian nuclear threat, Trump then turned to the hostage deal, emphasizing that Netanyahu is 'right now in the process of negotiating a deal with Hamas, which will include getting the hostages back.'
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Netanyahu shared Trump's post to X, thanking the president and declaring, 'Together, we will make the Middle East Great Again!'
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Israeli President Isaac Herzog reiterated his support on Thursday for a plea deal in Netanyahu's trial, responding to Trump's call to end the 'witch hunt' against the premier.
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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met on Friday in Washington with families of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, reaffirming the Trump administration's commitment to securing their release.
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According to the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, Rubio pledged the administration's 'unwavering commitment' to securing the release of all 50 remaining captives. He emphasized America's leadership in past Middle East initiatives and noted that, following Israel's recent operations in Iran and Lebanon, the country remains capable of defeating Hamas.
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