Washington: US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that ten more Israeli hostages held in Gaza would be released “very shortly”, as part of ongoing efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Speaking at a dinner with Republican senators at the White House, Trump said, “We got most of the hostages back. We’re going to have another 10 coming very shortly, and we hope to have that finished quickly.” He also commended his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, calling him “fantastic” for his role in the negotiations.
The latest ceasefire proposal under discussion includes the return of 10 hostages and the remains of 18 others. In return, Israel would release an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners currently held in Israeli jails.
Earlier on Friday, Axios reported that the head of Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, visited Washington this week to seek US support in encouraging other countries to accept Palestinians from Gaza. Mossad chief David Barnea reportedly told Witkoff that Israel has explored the possibility of relocating Gaza residents to countries including Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Libya.
Trump has previously stated that a ceasefire agreement was imminent, claiming on his social media platform on 1 July that Israel had agreed to the “necessary conditions” for a 60-day truce.
Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Trump at the White House and presented him with a copy of a letter he had sent to the Nobel Committee nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. That same week, Qatari officials facilitated indirect talks between Israel and Hamas aimed at brokering a ceasefire.
On Friday, a spokesperson for Hamas’s armed wing told Reuters that the group was open to an interim truce but might resume demands for a comprehensive agreement if a deal was not reached through current negotiations.