Trump pushing Israel and Hamas to clinch ceasefire and hostage release deal this week: Report

US President Donald Trump expects the mediators in the ongoing negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal to reach an agreement this week, and they have been sounded accordingly, said an Arab diplomat involved in the talks. The message is being passed along to both Israel and Hamas with a warning against disappointing Trump this time, confirmed another individual privy to the developments, said a Times of Israel report. Progress has been made during proximity talks that have been held over the past two days in Doha, particularly on the issue of humanitarian aid, said the Arab diplomat.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s operations will be significantly limited, if not ended completely, the diplomat added.

Hamas has demanded a surge of aid through the UN and other international organisations, which Israel has massively restricted, except for GHF.

The American aid organization has been facing criticism for forcing Gazans to walk long distances while crossing IDF lines, and often coming under attack, in order to pick up boxes of food. Israel says the mechanism is necessary to prevent Hamas from diverting aid.

Negotiators in Doha have also discussed the exact parameters of Israel’s partial withdrawal from Gaza during the 60-day ceasefire under discussion, and Israeli officials came to Qatar with a map of the withdrawal they envision.

Hamas has been demanding that Israel pull back to where its troops were stationed before the previous ceasefire began collapsing on March 2, but the terror group has shown flexibility on this issue.

US envoy Witkoff will be in Doha to push Gaza talks

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press briefing that US special envoy to the Mideast, Steve Witkoff, will travel to Doha later this week to advance a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Leavitt said an “agreeable and appropriate” ceasefire proposal is on the table after Israel backed it, and urged Hamas to do the same.

Hamas said over the weekend that it responded positively to the proposal, while submitting three reservations that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would not accept.

Leavitt said in the briefing that Trump’s “utmost priority” is to end the war in Gaza and ensure return all of the remaining hostages.

Trump is seemingly keen on trying to seize on any momentum created by the weakening of Iran to push both sides for a breakthrough in the 21-month Gaza war.