Trump Says Gaza Cease-fire Could Happen ‘Within the Next Week’
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Israel Trump expects ceasefire in Gaza next week
Israel’s military prosecutor’s office is investigating possible war crimes in connection with shots fired at Palestinians near aid centers in the Gaza Strip. At least 410 Palestinians have been killed in the vicinity of the GHF’s food distribution centers since the end of May, according to UN figures. Israel’s self-declared goal in the war is to crush Hamas and free the remaining hostages. According to official Israeli information, 22 living hostages are still being held in Gaza. For 28 others, it is only a matter of handing over their mortal remains, says Israel’s Chief of Staff Ejjjal Zamir.. Doctors Without Borders criticized on X that theGHF programme supported by Israel and the USA was “a butchery disguised as humanitarian aid” According to a Palestinian media report, at least eleven more civilians were killed in an Israeli airstrike. The data, which can hardly be verified, makes no distinction between civilians and fighters. The war has killed more than 56,300 Palestinians since more than 20 months ago.
A few days after a ceasefire between Israel and Iran came into force, US President Donald Trump is also expecting a ceasefire in the Gaza war next week. He said in the White House that the situation was close and that he had recently spoken to some of those involved – presumably with a view to ongoing mediation efforts. “We think we’ll have a ceasefire within the next week.” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that the ceasefire between Israel and Iran gave reason to hope that this would also happen in Gaza.
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It initially remained unclear what Trump was basing his optimistic statement on. Qatar and Egypt, which are also mediating between Israel and the Islamist Hamas, have long been seeking a new ceasefire in the sealed-off coastal region. As part of such an agreement, the hostages still being held by Hamas and other Islamist terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip are to be released and many Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails.
Report: Investigation into deaths at Gaza aid centers
Meanwhile, according to a newspaper report, Israel’s military prosecutor’s office is investigating possible war crimes in connection with shots fired at Palestinians near aid centers in the Gaza Strip. As the Israeli daily “Haaretz” reported, the investigation unit at the General Staff of the Armed Forces is to examine whether Israeli soldiers who were supposed to secure the distribution centers of the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) violated international humanitarian law.
According to UN figures, at least 410 Palestinians have been killed in the vicinity of the GHF’s food distribution centers since the end of May. In almost all cases, Israeli soldiers are said to have fired unprovoked at unarmed crowds who had lined up before the centers opened. “The search for food must never be a death sentence,” said Guterres. The organization Doctors Without Borders criticized on X that the GHF programme supported by Israel and the USA was “a butchery disguised as humanitarian aid”.
“Malicious lie”
“According to Haaretz, soldiers and officers involved confirm the killing of Palestinians near the distribution centers. According to them, the soldiers were firing at people to keep them away from the centers before they opened. “It’s a death zone,” the paper quoted an army officer who was on the scene. In a joint statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz described the report as a “malicious lie”. It only serves to “defame the most moral army in the world”.
Earlier accusations that the military arbitrarily shot at Palestinians in the vicinity of the GHF centers had been rejected by the army with the argument that in all these cases there had been a threat to the soldiers concerned. Israel had brought the GHF Foundation into play after a weeks-long total blockade of the Gaza Strip in order to circumvent the distribution of aid by the UN and other organizations. According to Israel, most of the aid that reaches the Gaza Strip through these organizations is stolen by the terrorist organization Hamas. There is no proof of this.
Any operation that “directs desperate civilians into militarized zones” is unsafe, Guterres criticized the GHF mechanism. Israeli authorities must return to a principled humanitarian system coordinated by the United Nations, MSF demanded on X. Meanwhile, according to a Palestinian media report, at least eleven more civilians were killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Report of further deaths
The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported, citing its own correspondents in Gaza, that a tent city for war displaced persons in the center of the city of Gaza in the north of the coastal region had been hit. Several people were injured. The report could not initially be independently verified. Israel’s military did not initially comment on the incident.
Israel’s self-declared goal in the war is to crush Hamas and free the remaining hostages. According to official Israeli information, 22 living hostages are still being held in Gaza. For 28 others, it is only a matter of handing over their mortal remains. “There is a possibility that the attack on Iran will advance our goals in Gaza,” said Israel’s Chief of Staff Ejal Zamir during a visit to the troops.
Earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said: “Iran has suffered a serious blow”, which will have an impact on Tehran’s allies such as the Islamist Hamas in Gaza. He wanted to “complete the fight against the Iranian axis”, defeat Hamas and secure the release of all hostages. The foot would not be taken off the gas pedal.
According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, more than 56,300 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the start of the Gaza war more than 20 months ago. The data, which can hardly be verified independently, makes no distinction between civilians and fighters. The war was triggered by the attack on Israel by Hamas and other Islamist terrorist organizations on 7 October 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage in Gaza.
Trump would bomb Iran again if necessary
While more and more people in Iran have returned to the capital Tehran since the ceasefire began, Israel’s military leadership is now focusing on Gaza again, as Chief of Staff General Zamir explained. When asked whether he would have Iran’s nuclear facilities bombed again if there were renewed concerns about Tehran’s uranium enrichment, US President Trump said: “Certainly, without question, absolutely.” Iran must not have nuclear weapons. The recent attacks had set the nuclear program back by years, he reiterated. Trump had recently indicated that there would soon be new talks with Tehran on the nuclear program. He did not give any details.
Iran denies that it is seeking nuclear weapons. The nuclear program only serves civilian purposes. However, the USA, Israel and other countries suspect Iran of developing nuclear bombs.
Trump Says Gaza Ceasefire May Be ‘Close,’ Possibly Within Week
President Donald Trump said he thought a ceasefire in Gaza could be “close,” perhaps in the next week. He did not provide further details on how an agreement might unfold or say to whom he spoke.
“I just spoke with some of the people involved. It’s a terrible situation that’s going,” the president told reporters at the White House on Friday afternoon. “And we think within the next week, we’re going to get a ceasefire, and we’re supplying, as you know, a lot of money and a lot of food to that area.”
He did not provide further details on how an agreement might unfold or say to whom he spoke about a possible halt in the war that began with the Hamas assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
“We’re involved because people are dying,” Trump added.
The Israeli Embassy in Washington didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday evening.
Trump says Gaza ceasefire possible ‘within the next week’, gives no details
US president’s claim greeted with surprise as deaths spiral in Gaza. Israeli forces accused of more ‘war crimes’ for shooting starving people seeking food aid. Doctors Without Borders branded the situation in Gaza as ‘slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid’ Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer is scheduled to visit Washington next week for talks with Trump administration officials on Gaza, Iran and a possible White House visit by Netanyahu, according to a source familiar with the matter. The truce was broken by Israel in March when it launched a wave of surprise bombing attacks across the territory and imposed a blockade on food, water, medicine and fuel into the 2.1 million population. The US president said he was hopeful after speaking to some of the people involved in trying to get a truce and that it was ‘close’
United States President Donald Trump said he believes a ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas could be reached within a week.
Trump came out with the surprise comment while speaking to reporters on Friday, saying he was hopeful after speaking to some of the people involved in trying to get a truce.
“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,” the president said, without revealing who he had been in contact with.
Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh, reporting from Amman in Jordan, said Trump’s comment will be “welcome news” to the starved and bombed population of Gaza, but she also cautioned that there are “no negotiations at this moment happening anywhere in the region”.
“What we do know is that talk of a ceasefire increased exponentially after the ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Israel does not want to talk about ending the war. In fact, the Israeli prime minister would be risking a lot if he did,” Odeh said.
But, she added, there is an understanding, according to many reports, that Netanyahu would have to agree to some sort of ceasefire in exchange for normalisation deals with Arab states, which the Trump administration has promoted.
Hamas, on the other hand, requires that Israel stop its war on Gaza and for the Israeli military to withdraw from areas it seized in Gaza after breaking the last ceasefire in March.
“Hamas also wants US guarantees that negotiations would continue and that Israel wouldn’t break the ceasefire again if more time was needed for negotiations,” Odeh added.
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Trump’s ceasefire prediction comes at a time of mounting killings by Israeli forces in Gaza and growing international condemnation of Israel’s war amid the latest revelation that soldiers said they were ordered to shoot unarmed Palestinian civilians seeking humanitarian aid in the territory.
Authorities in Gaza said the report by the Haaretz media outlet that Israeli commanders ordered the deliberate shooting of starving Palestinians was further proof of Israel’s “war crimes” in the war-torn territory.
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz have rejected the report of commanders targeting civilians, Gaza’s Health Ministry has reported that almost 550 Palestinians have been killed near US- and Israel-backed aid distribution points in Gaza since late May.
“People are being killed simply trying to feed themselves and their families,” United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday. “The search for food must never be a death sentence,” he said.
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (also known by its French acronym MSF) branded the situation in Gaza as “slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid”.
A spokesperson for the office of Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said they had no information to share about a possible ceasefire breakthrough in Gaza.
Witkoff helped former US President Joe Biden’s aides broker a ceasefire and captive release agreement in Gaza shortly before Trump took office in January. But the truce was broken by Israel in March when it launched a wave of surprise bombing attacks across the territory.
Israeli officials said that only military action would result in the return of captives held in Gaza, and imposed a blockade on food, water, medicine and fuel entering the territory that led to widespread starvation among the 2.1 million population.
Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer is scheduled to visit Washington next week for talks with Trump administration officials on Gaza, Iran and a possible White House visit by Netanyahu, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Trump suggests Gaza ceasefire could happen within a week
U.S. President Donald Trump said he believes a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza could be reached “within the next week’ Trump provided no concrete details or timelines to support the claim. The unexpected statement comes amid escalating violence in Gaza, where hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in recent weeks. Hamas has insisted that any truce must include a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Meanwhile, Israeli leadership has publicly dismissed calls for ending the war, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under pressure not to appear to concede. A blockade on food, medicine, fuel, and other essentials remains in place, contributing to widespread hunger among Gaza’s 2.1 million residents.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump said he had spoken with individuals involved in the peace efforts and was “hopeful” about a resolution. “I think it’s close. I just spoke to some of the people involved,” he said, without naming them.
The unexpected statement comes amid escalating violence in Gaza, where hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in recent weeks, and follows widespread allegations of Israeli forces shooting unarmed civilians seeking food.
Trump to Iran’s supreme leader: ‘You got beat to hell’
Al Jazeera correspondent Nour Odeh, reporting from Amman, noted that while Trump’s comment might bring a glimmer of hope to people in Gaza, there are currently no known formal ceasefire talks underway. She added that the likelihood of any agreement may be tied to broader regional negotiations, including potential normalization deals between Israel and Arab states — a diplomatic effort previously backed by Trump’s administration.
According to reports, Hamas has insisted that any truce must include a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and U.S. guarantees that talks would continue without further breaches. Meanwhile, Israeli leadership has publicly dismissed calls for ending the war, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under pressure not to appear to concede.
The timing of Trump’s statement is also notable, as international outrage grows over reports of Israeli troops targeting Palestinians at aid distribution sites. Gaza’s Health Ministry claims nearly 550 Palestinians have been killed near these points since late May. A report by Israeli newspaper Haaretz alleged that soldiers were ordered to fire at civilians approaching aid, a charge Israel’s leadership has denied.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the humanitarian toll, stating Friday, “People are being killed simply trying to feed themselves and their families. The search for food must never be a death sentence.”
Doctors Without Borders has also denounced the current aid distribution setup as “a slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid.”
Despite Trump’s optimism, a spokesperson for his special envoy Steve Witkoff said there was no new information to share about any progress toward a ceasefire. Witkoff had earlier played a role in brokering a temporary truce and hostage release in Gaza shortly before Trump returned to office in January — a truce that collapsed in March after Israel launched renewed bombing across the territory.
Israeli officials have maintained that only military pressure will lead to the release of captives held by Hamas. A blockade on food, medicine, fuel, and other essentials remains in place, contributing to widespread hunger among Gaza’s 2.1 million residents.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Minister for Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, is expected in Washington next week for talks with U.S. officials on Gaza, Iran, and a potential visit by Netanyahu to the White House.
Source: Al Jazeera
Missile From Yemen ‘Likely Intercepted;’ Trump Says Gaza Deal Could Happen by Next Week
Thousands of mourners lined the streets of downtown Tehran on Saturday for the funeral of the head of the Revolutionary Guard. Israel launched a war it said meant to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, specifically targeting military commanders, scientists and nuclear facilities. Israel claimed it killed around 30 Iranian commanders and 11 nuclear scientists, while hitting eight nuclear-related facilities and more than 720 military infrastructure sites.
The caskets of Guard’s chief Gen. Hossein Salami, the head of the Guard’s ballistic missile program, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh and others were driven on trucks along the capital’s Azadi Street.
Open gallery view People attend the funeral procession of Iranian military commanders, nuclear scientists and others killed in Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Saturday. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/ Reuters
Salami and Hajizadeh were both killed on the first day of the war, June 13, as Israel launched a war it said meant to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, specifically targeting military commanders, scientists and nuclear facilities.
Saturday’s ceremonies were the first public funerals for top commanders since the ceasefire, and Iranian state television reported that they were for 60 people in total, including four women and four children.
Open gallery view People attend the funeral procession of Iranian military commanders, nuclear scientists and others killed in Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Saturday. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/ Reuters
Over 12 days before a cease-fire was declared on Tuesday, Israel claimed it killed around 30 Iranian commanders and 11 nuclear scientists, while hitting eight nuclear-related facilities and more than 720 military infrastructure sites. More than 1,000 people were killed, including at least 417 civilians, according to the Washington-based Human Rights Activists group.