Washington: US President Donald Trump expressed confidence on Tuesday that he would be able to end the war in Gaza, saying that he “got it settled” and “going to get that done.”
“We got it, I think, settled. We’ll see. Hamas has to agree. If they don’t, it’s going to be very tough on them, but it is what it is. But all of the Arab nations, Muslim nations, have agreed. Israel has agreed. Amazing thing, it just came together,” Trump said while addressing more than 800 senior military officers in Virginia.
His statement comes a day after the administration formally announced a 20-point peace plan to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
The peace plan for Gaza outlines the establishment of a temporary technocratic government, with Israel pledging not to annex the Strip and ensuring that no residents are forced to leave. The agreement calls for an immediate end to the war if accepted, with all captives, both alive and deceased, returned within 72 hours.
Speaking to reporters before his address on Tuesday, Trump said he will wait for “three or four days” for Hamas to accept the proposal.
“We’re just waiting for Hamas, and Hamas is either going to be doing it or not, and if it’s not, it’s going to be a very sad end. With Hamas, we want it very simple. We want the hostages back immediately, and we want some good behaviour. And, you know, pretty, pretty simple. You don’t get simpler. Think of it. We’ve signed every country in the Middle East. This is like an impossible thing. It’s never been done before. This is more than Gaza. Gaza is mixed up, but this Gaza is a piece of it,” he added.
He reiterated his threat, warning that if Hamas refuses to sign, he will allow Israel “to do what they have to do.”
“I would let them go and do what they have to do. You know, we have killed about 25,000 Hamas. So, certainly, they paid a big price for October 7. And this is a whole new group. Their leadership has been killed three different times, so they paid a big price. We hope that they’re going to have a nice, calm life. Maybe it won’t happen, but if it does, it’ll be one of the greatest things ever to happen. We’ll have actual peace in the Middle East,” he noted.
The war in Gaza began almost two years ago, when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Around 48 people are believed to remain in captivity, and about 20 are thought to be alive.
(IANS)
