Israel US senator: Trump wants to achieve ceasefire in Gaza before taking office

According to a report, US President-elect Donald Trump is seeking a ceasefire in the Gaza war and the release of all hostages held by Hamas before he takes office on January 20.

Republican senator and Trump supporter Lindsey Graham told the news portal "Axios" that Trump wants to reach an agreement to release the hostages and end the war as quickly as possible, preferably before he moves into the White House. "Trump is more determined than ever that the hostages be released and supports a ceasefire that includes a hostage agreement. He wants this to happen now," Graham was quoted as saying.

It is estimated that only about half of the 100 remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip are still alive. According to "Axios", Graham said that he wanted people in Israel and the region to know that Trump was focusing on the fate of the hostages. Trump wants to end the fighting and the bloodshed.

"I hope that President Trump and (outgoing US President Joe) Biden's administration will work together during the transition period to release the hostages and achieve a ceasefire," Graham said. The influential senator returned last week from a trip to the Middle East, during which he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, among others.

According to media reports, a Hamas delegation is expected in Cairo today to discuss new Egyptian ideas for a hostage deal and a ceasefire. In recent months, Egypt has been involved as a mediator in the negotiations for a ceasefire alongside the Gulf Emirate of Qatar and the USA, as Israel and Hamas do not conduct direct negotiations with each other as a matter of principle.

The Gaza war was triggered by the massacre in Israel committed by Hamas terrorists and other extremists from the Gaza Strip, in which around 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others kidnapped in the coastal area on October 7, 2023.

SDA