WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, claimed that Hamas does not want a ceasefire or the release of hostages in Gaza.
Trump said the US had already rescued many hostages from Gaza and once the last hostage was freed, Hamas will know what comes next. According to him, that is why Hamas has backed away from negotiations.
Issuing a strong warning, Trump said the only way forward is to get rid of Hamas by targeting their leaders. He added that it seems Hamas members are ready to die.
Trump also spoke about trade deals, mentioning that more agreements are expected by August 1. He described the possibility of a trade deal with the European Union as “50-50,” while regarding Canada he said tariffs might be imposed, but no negotiations are planned. He emphasized that he does not want the US dollar to weaken.
This comes after the US and Israel withdrew their delegations from ceasefire talks held in Doha under the mediation of Egypt and Qatar. The US special envoy, Steve Wittkoff, said mediators tried hard but saw no genuine intent or desire for a ceasefire from Hamas.
According to foreign media reports, Hamas has submitted its official response to the proposed US-backed ceasefire deal to the mediators (Qatar and Egypt).
Mediators have been engaged in talks between Israeli and Hamas delegations in Doha for over two weeks but no significant progress has been made.
