'Gaza -- we are talking, and hopefully we're going to get that straightened out over the next week,' president says
US President Donald Trump said Sunday that he hopes a Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas will be reached soon.
“Gaza -- we are talking, and hopefully we're going to get that straightened out over the next week,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
Trump previously announced that Israel accepted the necessary conditions for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, with the proposal presented to Hamas by Qatar and Egypt.
Hamas responded positively and said it is ready to proceed with negotiations to implement the ceasefire deal and exchange hostages.
Although Israel claimed Hamas' amendments to the Qatari proposal were unacceptable, its delegation still traveled to Doha for talks.
Negotiations in Doha have focused on a temporary 60-day ceasefire, the release of 10 living and 18 deceased Israeli hostages, and discussions on a permanent truce.
While many issues were reportedly resolved, the main sticking point remained Israel's insistence on maintaining control over a buffer zone around Gaza's perimeter.
Even if a ceasefire is reached, Israel has announced plans to continue to maintain a military presence in Rafah and set up a “collection camp” as part of its aim to deport Palestinians to other countries.
