Trump says 'we have a deal on Gaza' as Israeli PM vows to 'finish the job'

Washington, Sep 26 (IANS) US President Donald Trump on Friday announced that the United States may be close to a deal on ending the war in Gaza.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said it’s “looking like we have a deal on Gaza.”

“I think it's a deal that will get the hostages back. It's going to be a deal that will end the war. It's going to be peace,” he added.

Trump on Thursday also said that he won’t allow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

"I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. It's not going to happen," he said.

According to the US media, Trump’s peace plan on Gaza includes the release of all hostages, a permanent ceasefire, gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the strip, a governing structure without involvement of Hamas and the deployment of international forces to manage security.

Trump’s statement comes as Israeli PM, in his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday, warned that his country would “finish the job” against Hamas in Gaza unless it laid down arms and released the remaining hostages taken in the attack on Israel in 2023, in which more than 1,200 people were killed.

“Free the hostages now," Netanyahu told Hamas from the podium. “If you do, you will live. If you don’t, Israel will hunt you down,” he threatened.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday held a multilateral meeting on Gaza with a select group of leaders of Muslim countries, including Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings in New York.

The meeting was attended by leaders of Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, the UAE and Jordan.

During his address at the UNGA, Trump squarely blamed Hamas for rejecting the “reasonable offers” to make peace and criticised countries that have recently recognised a Palestinian state.

“We can't forget October 7. As if to encourage continued conflict, some of this body is seeking to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state. The rewards would be too great for Hamas terrorists for their atrocities. Those who want peace should be united with one message: release the hostages now. Just release the hostages now,” he added.

--IANS

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