U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he expects the hostages held in Gaza to begin being released “very soon,” as mediators are set to meet in Egypt on Monday for indirect peace talks between Hamas and Israel.
The talks follow Hamas’s agreement to several parts of the 20-point U.S. peace plan, including the release of hostages and transferring governance of Gaza to Palestinian technocrats, while negotiations continue on other outstanding issues.
When asked about flexibility in the plan, Trump told reporters:
“We don’t need flexibility because everyone has more or less agreed, but there will always be some changes.”
He added that the negotiations were “going very well” and described the agreement as:
“A great deal for Israel, a great deal for the entire Arab world, the Muslim world, and the world. We are very pleased about this.”
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes continued in Gaza, despite Trump instructing Israel to “immediately halt bombardments” after Hamas responded to the proposed plan.
Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian told reporters that while some strikes had ceased inside Gaza, no ceasefire is currently in effect. Bedrosian added that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered defensive counterstrikes in response to threats on the battlefield.
Reports from Gaza indicated that air and tank strikes continued overnight and on Sunday, destroying several residential buildings in Gaza City.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized on CBS News that bombardments must stop to facilitate hostage release:
“You cannot release hostages while there are still bombings… that must stop, but you also have to work on the other logistics. We want to get the hostages out as quickly as possible.”
The 20-point plan proposes an immediate end to fighting and the release of 48 hostages, only 20 of whom are believed to be alive, in exchange for hundreds of detained Gaza residents.
