U.S. President Donald Trump, in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, sounded hopeful about the end of the current war in Gaza, saying that peace may arrive in the "not-too-distant future."
I'd like to see the war stop, and I think the war will stop at some point, that won't be in the too-distant future," Trump said when queried by reporters regarding whether he could fulfill his election promise to put an end to the war, according to Reuters.
The two leaders spoke to the media in the Oval Office during what has been characterized as a high-stakes meeting in the midst of the extended Israel-Hamas conflict. Trump also added that negotiations to free the Hamas hostages are underway, although he admitted the process would take time: "It's a long process."
Netanyahu, meanwhile, explained that he had discussed with Trump his "bold vision" for Gaza in the post-war future. The reference was to Trump's widely criticized early administration proposal involving U.S. control of the Gaza Strip as a solution.
Earlier on Monday, Trump told reporters, "Having a peace force like the United States there controlling and owning the Gaza Strip would be a good thing." He also made a reprise of an earlier proposal to relocate Palestinians in Gaza to other nations — an idea that has faced harsh international backlash and been broadly criticized as calling for ethnic cleansing.
One of the key issues in the war is the status of the Hamas hostages captured during the group's October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, in which approximately 1,200 individuals were killed and 251 hostages were seized, reported Israel.
Israel's response militarily has killed over 50,000 Palestinians, said Gaza health authorities.
Netanyahu noted that Israel is working toward another potential agreement for the hostages’ release following a January ceasefire that led to the return of some captives. “We’re committed to getting all the hostages out, but also eliminating the evil tyranny of Hamas in Gaza and enabling the people of Gaza to freely make a choice to go wherever they want,” he stated.
The remark added further complexity to the conversation on the future of Gaza, introducing concerns of displacement, sovereignty, and long-term regional stability.
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