U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed his desire to see an end to Gaza war “as quickly as possible.”
He was speaking to reporters on Sunday before boarding Air Force One back to Washington, as Israel intensified its attacks into Gaza while the United Nations and major Western countries demanded an end to military operations and supply of aid in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Trump hinted at the possibility of a ceasefire, which according to news reports, could come from him in the next few days.
The president said he hopes to have good news soon.
“We want to see if we can stop that. And Israel, we’ve been talking to them, and we want to see if we can stop that whole situation as quickly as possible,” he said.
According to The New York Times, Trump’s comments reflect growing isolation of Israel, as prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushes ahead with an expanded military operation, which he says, is targeting Hamas in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Secretary Homeland Security Kristi Noem met with Netanyahu on Sunday evening.
According to a Fox News report, Noem met the Israeli leader in Jerusalem, where she voiced “strong appreciation for the Prime Minister’s policies, particularly the construction of the border fence with Egypt and the conduct of the ongoing war,” according to Netanyahu’s office.
On Monday, newspaper reports said Israeli Defense Forces carried out 200 airstrikes on terrorist sites in Gaza.
Israel’s recent military operations have killed hundreds of Palestinian, and the death toll on the Mediterranean Strip has surpassed 53,000, according to Gaza health officials. The toll includes many women and children.
The October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel killed 1200 people, according to Israeli officials. Besides, the militants took around 250 people as hostages and kept them in Gaza.
Since the start of the war, there have been a few ceasefires, brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt, during which Hamas has returned hostages while Isreal has released Palestinian prisoners from its jails. Israeli officials say there are still many hostages in Gaza.
The United Nations, in its latest update on the situation in the Middle East war, has said deadly Israeli attacks over the past 24 hours have killed at least 38 people in Gaza, according to health officials in the Palestinian territory.
The world body warned on Monday that the “trickle” of supplies being allowed into the war-torn enclave will not halt famine.
he International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement that two of its staff, Ibrahim Eid and Ahmad Abu Hilal, had been killed in a strike on a house in Khan Younis on Saturday.
“Their killing points to the intolerable civilian death toll in Gaza. The ICRC reiterates its urgent call for a ceasefire and for the respect and protection of civilians, including medical, humanitarian relief, and civil defence personnel,” the ICRC statement added.
On Friday, an Israeli strike on Khan Younis destroyed the home of doctors Alaa and Hamdi al-Najjar, killing nine of their 10 children.
The Israel Defense Forces said on Saturday it had targeted more than 100 sites across the territory over the weekend, despite aid agencies warning that the Palestinian population is plunging deeper into malnutrition and famine in the face of three-month-old Israeli blockade on aid for Gaza.
Isreal is under growing international pressure to stop the Gaza war. Major European powers Britain and France, and Canada have called for immediate end to its military attacks in Gaza. Spain has also separately censured Netanyahu’s actions.
“We strongly oppose the expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable. Yesterday’s announcement that Israel will allow a basic quantity of food into Gaza is wholly inadequate. We call on the Israeli Government to stop its military operations in Gaza and immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza,”
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said they backed India’s right to self-defense but will not stand by the current Government’s actions.
“Israel suffered a heinous attack on October 7. We have always supported Israel’s right to defend Israelis against terrorism. But this escalation is wholly disproportionate.
“We will not stand by while the Netanyahu Government pursues these egregious actions. If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response.”
Reacting to the statement, Netanyahu criticized the three leaders and accused them of siding with Hamas, the Palestinian militant organization that attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, triggering the war.
Netanyahu has said he would continue to go after Hamas, which the United States, Israel’s largest supporter, has designated as a terror group.
Netanyahu said Hamas wants to destroy the state of Israel and raised the question as to how this “simple truth evades the leaders of France, Britain, Canada and others.”
This story has been updated.
