U.S. President Donald Trump, during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, expressed his desire for the war in Gaza to end soon.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said efforts to free hostages held by Hamas are ongoing but emphasized that the process is “lengthy.” Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization by both the U.S. and the EU, launched a deadly attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli officials.
In response, Israel launched a military campaign that, according to local health authorities, has resulted in the deaths of more than 50,000 Palestinians.
Asked whether he would fulfill his campaign promise to end the war in Gaza, Trump stated:
“I would like to see the war end, and I think it will end at some point, not too far from now.”
Trump also revived a controversial proposal, suggesting that it would be beneficial for the U.S. to “control and own” the Gaza Strip.
“It’s a good thing to have a force like the United States there, controlling and owning Gaza,” he told reporters.
In addition, Trump announced that the U.S. and Iran have started direct talks regarding Tehran’s nuclear program. This marks a significant shift after Iranian officials had previously indicated their rejection of U.S. negotiation offers.
“We are holding direct talks with Iran, and they have started. We have a big meeting on Saturday, and we’ll see what happens,” Trump said in the Oval Office during his meeting with Netanyahu.
He added that reaching an agreement would be preferable to military confrontation but did not provide further details.
Tensions in the Middle East have intensified following the war in Gaza and Lebanon, military strikes in Yemen, leadership changes in Syria, and escalating clashes between Israel and Iran.
Trump reiterated his preference for a diplomatic resolution over military action. In March, he had written to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, proposing talks. Iranian officials at the time insisted they would not be blackmailed into negotiations.
During his first term from 2017 to 2021, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which had imposed strict limits on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump’s administration also reinstated sweeping U.S. sanctions.
Since then, Iran has significantly exceeded the enrichment limits outlined in the deal. Western powers accuse Tehran of covertly aiming to develop nuclear weapons capabilities, while Iran insists its nuclear program is purely for civilian energy purposes.
