The proposal aimed at ending war in is a “great deal” for Israel, the US president said. Hamas responded positively on Friday, saying that she accepted some of the 20 points of the proposal, including ending the war, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the exchange of hostages with Palestinian prisoners.
“They are currently negotiating. Negotiations have begun. This will last a few days, ”he told reporters at the White House. “We’ll see how this will end. But I heard they say it is going very well, “he added.
Earlier, United States Foreign Minister Marco Rubio said Hamas had accepted “in principle” the terms of what will follow after the end of the Gaza war, but warned that the implementation of the second phase of the agreement, which concerns its disarmament, will not be easy.
Speaking to the US NBC network, Rubio said that “it will appear very quickly if Hamas is really serious, depending on how technical conversations and debate on business issues will evolve.”
Netanyahu sends a negotiating team to Egypt
Indirect negotiations on the release of hostages are expected to start tomorrow Monday in Egypt.
Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the negotiations team to depart for Egypt in order to participate in new talks on hostage release, as announced by his office. According to the announcement, the head of the mission will be the Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer. Dermer will lead the delegation, following reports that said he would only go if there was substantial progress in the negotiations.
The Israeli team is expected to leave for Egypt tomorrow, as originally planned.
If the negotiations fail, the battles will continue, says the IDF leader
Meanwhile, Israeli Army General Chief Eyal Zamir said today that the battles will continue in the Gaza Strip if negotiations to end the war fail.
“There is no ceasefire, but a change in the operational status: politicians use the means and successes you had on the field to translate them into diplomatic profits. If this effort fails, we will resume the battle, “Zamir said, speaking to soldiers in the Gaza Strip.
Rubio: “Negotiations still don’t mean the end of the war”
For his part, United States Foreign Minister Marco Rubio in an interview on Sunday, argued that ongoing negotiations between Hamas and Israel are not yet the end of the war. He explained that the establishment of a Gaza governance instrument “cannot be done in a few days”, but assured that there is a plan in this direction.
“Everyone has agreed, including Israel, that at some stage of the process, Gaza will be governed by a Palestinian technocratic group, which will not be Hamas and will not include terrorists, with the help and guidance of an international consortium, such as the Peace Council,” Rubio said.
“It’s time for peace in Gaza”
At the same time, Chancellor Friedrich Mertz today had telephone conversations with US President Donald Trump and Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu. The object of both contacts were mainly developments in Gaza and the prospect of the US president’s peace plan.
According to the Chancellor’s announcement, during a conversation with President Trump, it was agreed that a rapid agreement should be reached in Egypt, release the hostages, end the battles and Hamas to deposit her weapons. “After almost two years of war, it’s time for peace,” said Mr Mertz.
Ukraine was also discussed during the same communication, with Chancellor referring to the initiative on the use of committed Russian assets to support Ukrainian Armed Forces. The two sides, the Chancellor said, agreed to “continue to work together to terminate the Russian aggressive war.”
