 "US President Donald Trump looks on next to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (not pictured) at the NATO summit of heads of state and government in The Hague on June 25, 2025. AFP")
US President Donald Trump has raised hope of a possible end to the nearly two-year-long Israel-Hamas war as he said a ceasefire could be reached as soon as next week in Gaza.
During the signing of a historic accord between DR Congo and Rwanda at the Oval Office on Friday, the president told reporters that he believes a ceasefire is close. Trump also said that he has been in touch with people familiar about the details of the truce deal between Israel and Hamas.
“I think it’s close. I just spoke to some of the people involved,” Trump said. “We think within the next week we’re going to get a ceasefire.”
Push for reaching a Gaza ceasefire intensified after the US “brokered” a peace deal between Israel and Iran earlier this week, effectively ending the 12-day-long conflict that “obliterated” the Iranian nuclear programme.
What does Hamas have to say?
Earlier this week, a senior Hamas official told AFP that talks for a Gaza ceasefire with Israel “intensified in recent hours” with mediator countries.
“Our communications with the brother mediators in Egypt and Qatar have not stopped and have intensified in recent hours,” Taher al-Nunu said, adding that the group had “not yet received any new proposals” to bring an end to the war now in its 21st month.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian terror organisation has also agreed to free all the remaining hostages under any deal to end the war. However, Israel has vowed to stop attacking Hamas only after it is dismantled or disarmed.
Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer plans to visit Washington starting on Monday for talks with Trump administration officials about Gaza, Iran and a possible White House visit by Netanyahu, a source told Reuters.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsIDF opens probe into war crimes
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have opened an investigation into possible war crimes after more evidence points to the possibility of its troops deliberately opening fire at Palestinians receiving food at aid distribution centres across Gaza.
Anonymous Israeli soldiers have told Israeli newspaper Haaretz that troops had been told to shoot at crowds of Palestinian citizens collecting aid near food distribution sites to keep them away from Israeli military positions. The soldiers added that they had reservations about launching an assault on people who appeared to pose no threat.
With inputs from agencies