 "President Donald Trump speaks to a gathering of top US military commanders at Marine Corps Base Quantico, on Tuesday, in Quantico. AP file")
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have expressed their “sincerest thanks” to the families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza for recommending his nomination to the Nobel Committee, according to a CNN report, citing letter published by the hostage families on Tuesday.
In the letter, Trump reaffirmed his commitment to “ensuring the total destruction of Hamas,” marking two years since the militant group’s October 7, 2023, attacks in southern Israel.
“Since the abhorrent events of October 7, 2023, that saw families ripped apart, children torn from their parents’ arms, and innocent people shot, killed, and raped, I have been resolved to returning all the hostages home, and ensuring the total destruction of Hamas so these horrific acts may never be repeated,” the letter read.
“These unspeakable scenes have been seared into our memories, and we will never forget,” it added.
Trump also acknowledged the resilience of the hostage families amid their suffering.
“My entire administration has been touched by the fact that, through the unimaginable pain and suffering of spending two years not knowing where your loved ones are, you have continued telling their stories and advocating on their behalf,” he wrote.
The president further emphasised his foreign policy stance, stating he remains “steadfastly committed” to “restoring a foreign policy of peace through strength ending the years of endless wars, not just in the Middle East, but around the world.”
Impact Shorts
More ShortsMeanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office reported on Tuesday that negotiations in Sharm el Sheikh for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal have made progress, based on a proposal by US President Donald Trump.
An official from Netanyahu’s office told The Times of Israel there was “optimism, but very cautious,” while cautioning that “Hamas can add obstacles at any moment and leave.”
Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close adviser to Netanyahu and head of the Israeli negotiating team, is scheduled to depart for the talks on Wednesday, the official added.
Officials from Washington are also expected to arrive in Egypt on Wednesday, where Israeli and Palestinian negotiators started fraught ceasefire talks earlier this week.
The negotiations focus on a 20-point plan proposed by Trump, aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza and securing the release of hostages held by Hamas.
With inputs from agencies