Trump Urges Gaza Deal, Release of Hostages

Terrorists in the Gaza Strip are holding 50 hostages, according to Israeli estimates. They are 49 of the 251 people abducted by Hamas-led terrorists in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and the body of Lt. Hadar Goldin, an Israeli soldier killed in Gaza on August 1, 2014. Of these, 28 are confirmed dead according to the Israel Defense Forces, and about 20 are believed to be alive, with grave concerns for the well-being of two others. 

On Saturday, Trump reiterated his call from earlier in the week to end Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial. Calling the premier a “war hero” who did a “fabulous job” coordinating with the United States on ending the Iranian nuclear threat, Trump then turned to the hostage deal, emphasizing that Netanyahu is “right now in the process of negotiating a deal with Hamas, which will include getting the hostages back.” 

Netanyahu shared Trump’s post to X, thanking the president and declaring, “Together, we will make the Middle East Great Again!” 

Israeli President Isaac Herzog reiterated his support on Thursday for a plea deal in Netanyahu’s trial, responding to Trump’s call to end the “witch hunt” against the premier. 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met on Friday in Washington with families of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, reaffirming the Trump administration’s commitment to securing their release. 

According to the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, Rubio pledged the administration’s “unwavering commitment” to securing the release of all 50 remaining captives. He emphasized America’s leadership in past Middle East initiatives and noted that, following Israel’s recent operations in Iran and Lebanon, the country remains capable of defeating Hamas. 

“True victory in Gaza will only be realized when all the hostages return home,” Rubio said. 

The families urged Trump to act decisively, calling the current moment a “critical window of opportunity” for a comprehensive deal. 

“We’ve waited long enough,” they said. “It’s time to make brave decisions and bring all our loved ones back.” 

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Friday that mediators are working with Israel and Hamas to build on the momentum from the ceasefire with Iran and push for a truce in Gaza. 

“If we don’t utilize this window of opportunity and this momentum, it’s an opportunity lost—amongst many in the near past,” Majed al-Ansari told AFP. “We don’t want to see that again.” 

Hamas Co-founder Slain in Gaza 

The Israeli military killed Hakham Muhammad Issa al-Issa in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood on Friday. 

Al-Issa was a senior figure in Hamas’s “military” wing and one of the terrorist organization’s founders, the IDF said. 

Serving as head of the Combat Support Headquarters, al-Issa played a key role in planning and executing the October 7, 2023, massacre and led efforts to rebuild Hamas’s “military” capabilities amid the ongoing war. He was also involved in advancing aerial and naval attacks against Israeli civilians and troops. 

He was killed in a joint operation involving the IDF and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet). 

The IDF and Shin Bet reaffirmed their commitment to continue targeting terrorists responsible for the October 7 attacks. 

Meanwhile, “Operation Gideon’s Chariot” continued on Sunday, with the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Col. Avichay Adraee, warning noncombatants in the Gaza City and Jabalia areas to immediately evacuate south to the Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone. 

The IDF is “operating with extreme force in these areas, and these military operations will escalate, intensify, and extend westward to the city center to destroy the capabilities of terrorist organizations,” Adraee said. 

“Hamas is harming you and bringing disaster upon you,” he said. “Returning to dangerous combat zones poses a threat to your lives.” 

On Friday night, the Israeli Air Force intercepted a rocket fired by Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip. 

The attack triggered air-raid sirens in the southern Negev, with no reports of injuries or damage. 

Earlier, the IDF announced that troops operating in Gaza had destroyed a tunnel Palestinian terrorists used to carry out a deadly attack during the 2014 war (“Operation Protective Edge”). 

The tunnel, located in the Beit Hanoun area in northeastern Gaza, was approximately one kilometer long [0.62 mi]. 

“Gideon’s Chariots,” launched on May 16, aims to complete the defeat of Hamas, dismantle its “military” and governing infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, secure the release of the remaining hostages, establish territorial control over large parts of the coastal enclave, and provide an alternative aid distribution mechanism to bypass the terrorist group.