US President Donald Trump described the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza and concluded a prisoner exchange agreement as “very complicated”, expressing his hope to reach an agreement. In statements to reporters during a press conference, in response to a question about whether he has hope to release more hostages, Trump said: “I hope that things will go well. We are largely involved in the negotiations related to the hostages and Israel, and we must see what will happen. It is a very complicated situation.”
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He added: “A tremendous hatred here with levels that no one has seen before,” referring to the depth of the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians and its repercussions on the American scene with increasing tension due to the US authorities’ suppression of protests at Columbia University.
Trump’s statements come as a difficult round of negotiations was held in the Qatari capital, Doha, between the parties concerned to reach a new ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which includes the release of Israeli prisoners in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.
The American envoy Steve Witkeov and the Director of Middle East and North Africa Affairs at the National Security Council Eric Teenger in the last Doha tour to present a “bridge proposal” aimed at reducing the gap between the two parties, extending the truce for the month of Ramadan and Easter, and facilitating the introduction of humanitarian aid to the sector.
Although the American proposal requires the release of the neighboring Israeli prisoners in stages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and a temporary ceasefire, the differences are still ongoing about the details of the deal, especially in light of Hamas’s demand to stop the war and the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the Strip, which Israel rejects so far.
Hamas announced its willingness to negotiate and expressed flexibility in some files, but Washington accused it of setting “unrealistic” conditions during the negotiations.
