US President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday that he believes a deal to release the hostages being held by Hamas and secure a ceasefire in Gaza could be reached very soon.
“I think we're going to have a deal on Gaza very soon. It's a hell of a problem. It's a problem we want to solve for the Middle East, for Israel, for everybody. But it's a problem we're going to get done,” said the President.
On the hostages, Trump said, “It could be a little bit less than 20 because some, you know, they tend to die. Even though they're young people, largely, they're dying. Young people don't die. Young people stay alive. But with this whole thing, they tend to die.”
“But we have, let's say, 20 people and we have about 38 bodies. I think we're going to get them all,” he continued.
The comments came hours after Trump confirmed he had sent a proposal to Hamas in recent days for a comprehensive hostage deal that includes significant changes compared to previous offers.
According to the proposal, all 48 hostages, living and deceased, will be released on the first day of the deal, as hundreds of terrorists and thousands of Palestinian Arab detainees are released.
As part of the framework, Israel would halt the takeover of Gaza City and would immediately begin negotiations to end the war, under the direct management of President Trump. The fighting will not renew as long as the negotiations are ongoing.
Commenting on the proposal, the President on Truth Social: "Everyone wants the hostages home. Everyone wants this war to end! The Israelis have accepted my terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well. I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning; there will not be another one! Thank you for your attention to this matter."
Sources close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "Israel is seriously considering President Trump's proposal; Hamas will likely continue its refusal."
Hamas responded to the proposal on Sunday evening and once again imposed preconditions on a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
"We have received several ideas from the American side through mediators to reach a ceasefire agreement. In this context, the Hamas movement welcomes any effort that supports stopping the aggression against our people and emphasizes its immediate readiness to sit at the negotiating table," the organization stated.
"It is our aim to discuss the release of all prisoners in exchange for a clear declaration of an end to the war and the complete withdrawal of forces from the Gaza Strip. Additionally, we seek the establishment of a committee to manage Gaza, composed of independent Palestinians, which would begin operations immediately. This would include an explicit and binding commitment from the enemy to uphold the agreements, preventing a recurrence of past instances where agreements were made but later rejected or canceled," Hamas added.