US President Donald Trump has expressed hope that a ceasefire in Gaza could be agreed upon “sometime next week” as Washington intensifies efforts to bring an end to the long-running conflict.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday before departing the US capital for Florida, the Republican president was asked whether a truce might be in place ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the White House on 7 July.
“We hope it’s going to happen, and we’re looking for it to happen sometime next week,” Trump said.
The recent conclusion of Israel’s brief 12-day military confrontation with Iran has fuelled renewed optimism for progress in securing a ceasefire in Gaza. The territory has been ravaged by more than 20 months of fighting, resulting in a humanitarian crisis affecting its population of over two million.
Although Trump has previously encouraged Israel to “make the deal in Gaza,” Israeli forces have continued their operations across the Palestinian enclave despite mounting international calls for restraint.
