US President Donald Trump, a day prior to the arrival of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington expressed confidence about the meeting, saying that there was a “good chance” of reaching a hostage deal with Hamas “during the week,” reports Times of Israel.
“I think there’s a good chance we have a deal with Hamas… during the coming week,” Trump told reporters as he headed back to Washington following the holiday weekend.
“We’ve gotten a lot of the hostages out, but pertaining to the remaining hostages, quite a few of them will be coming out,” Trump added.
Speaking briefly about the meeting, the US President said that Washington was “working on a lot of things” with Israel, including “probably a permanent deal with Iran.”
He went on to reiterate the success of the US strikes on June 22, claiming that the strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities during the 12-day Iran-Israel conflict.
Regarding the meeting, Netanyahu said that “we are working to reach this deal under the terms we have agreed to.”
“I sent a team to the negotiations (in Doha) with clear directives,” the Israeli PM added. “I think the conversation with President Trump can certainly help advance the outcome we are all hoping for.”
Netanyahu told reporters as he boarded the plane to DC that “20 living hostages remain and 30 who are fallen. I am determined, we are determined, to bring back all of them.”
Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas terrorists took place yesterday in Qatar, though they reportedly failed to reach a mandate during the first session of the talks, owing to the Israeli delegation’s lack of a sufficient mandate to reach an agreement with the Iran-backed outfit.
