Trump Expresses Hope for Gaza Ceasefire, Possibly ‘Next Week’

AFP/APP

Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump expressed optimism on Friday regarding a potential new ceasefire in Gaza, suggesting that an agreement involving Israel and Hamas could be reached as early as next week.

Responding to a reporter’s question about the timing of a ceasefire, Trump said: “We think within the next week, we’re going to get a ceasefire.”

The United States previously helped broker a truce in the final days of former President Joe Biden’s administration, with backing from Trump’s incoming transition team. However, Israel declared that ceasefire void in March, resuming large-scale military operations against Hamas following the group’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israeli territory.

As part of its renewed offensive, Israel halted the entry of food and humanitarian supplies into Gaza for over two months, prompting international warnings of an imminent famine.

Aid has since resumed through the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation—an initiative that involves U.S. security contractors operating alongside Israeli forces at Gaza’s periphery. Witnesses and Gaza health officials have reported multiple incidents in which Palestinians were killed while waiting in line for humanitarian aid.

On Thursday, the United States announced an initial $30 million in funding for the foundation.

“We’re supplying, as you know, a lot of money and a lot of food to that area,” Trump said on Friday. “We’re involved because people are dying. And look at those crowds of people that have no food, no anything,” he added.

Meanwhile, Israel continues to face criticism over its conduct near aid distribution centers. The Israeli daily Haaretz, known for its left-leaning editorial stance, cited unnamed soldiers who alleged that commanders ordered troops to open fire on crowds to disperse them—even when they posed no immediate threat.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has strongly denied these claims.