US President Donald Trump on Thursday commented on the situation in Gaza, saying he would like to get as many hostages back as possible.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump was asked if he had any updates about the Gaza plan he presented in February, which would see the US taking over the Strip to rebuild it, while its residents relocate.
“Well, we're going to try and solve the Gaza problem. It's been a problem for many years, for many, many decades. It's been a big problem,” replied Trump.
He then commented on the issue of the hostages and said, “I've met with, as you know, a lot of the hostages. It's a terrible situation. But if you notice, hostages are being released now, and that's happened only since I got involved. So we have hostages being released, quite a few, actually. I'd like to get as many hostages as we can.”
On Gaza, Trump said, “Gaza's a very, very important thing. It's been under siege for many, many years. It's a shame. A lot of people die in Gaza. A lot of bad things happen in Gaza. We'll see what we can do about it.”
His comments come amid a stalemate in the negotiations on a hostage release and ceasefire deal in Gaza.
On Wednesday, a Hamas official announced that the terrorist group has opted not to respond to Israel’s latest counter-proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, instead reaffirming its commitment to the terms set forth by international mediators.
Israel ended the previous ceasefire and launched surprise strikes against terrorist targets in Gaza in mid-March, following Hamas’ refusal to release more hostages and its rejection of US envoy Steve Witkoff’s proposal for a ceasefire.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later told reporters that President Donald Trump "fully supports" Israel's attack on the Gaza Strip.
Trump’s National Security Adviser, Mike Waltz, similarly expressed support for Israel’s renewed military campaign against the Hamas terrorist organization.
“Israel has every right to defend its people from Hamas terrorists. The ceasefire would have been extended if Hamas released all remaining hostages. Instead, they chose war,” Waltz wrote on X.
