Trump speaks of Iran’s involvement in Gaza ceasefire-hostage negotiations

Washington DC: US President Donald Trump on Monday said, during an event at the White House State Dining Room, Iran is participating in ongoing negotiations involving the United States, Israel, and Hamas to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages.

“Gaza right now is in the midst of a massive negotiation between us and Hamas and Israel, and Iran actually is involved, and we’ll see what’s going to happen with Gaza. We want to get the hostages back,” Trump said.

Neither Trump nor the White House provided details of Iran’s involvement in the negotiations. Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York also did not respond to a request for comment.

The US has proposed a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in which 28 Israeli hostages, both living and deceased, would be released in the first week in exchange for 1,236 Palestinian prisoners and the remains of 180 Palestinians.

Israel has agreed to the proposal, while Hamas has rejected it so far.

Separately, the United States and Iran are engaged in talks regarding Tehran’s nuclear program.