US envoy Steve Witkoff said Wednesday he had "very good feelings" about a possible Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, adding that he expected to send out a new proposal imminently.
"I have some very good feelings about getting to a long-term resolution, temporary cease fire, and a long-term resolution, a peaceful resolution of that conflict," Witkoff told reporters alongside President Donald Trump at the White House.
Hamas had announced earlier that it had reached an agreement with US Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff over the Gaza Strip, under which the radicals are ready to release 10 Israeli hostages and hand over the bodies of several dead.
"Hamas and Witkoff reached an agreement outlining a general framework of arrangements to achieve a permanent ceasefire [in Gaza], to withdraw the Israeli military from the enclave and to resume the delivery of humanitarian aid to the area," Hamas said on its Telegram channel.
The radicals added that the agreement reached "provides for the release of 10 Israeli hostages and the transfer of several bodies of dead captives to the other side in exchange for the release of an agreed number of Palestinian prisoners." The movement is currently "awaiting a final response" to the proposal.
“Good Talks with Iran”
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he had told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off striking Iran, saying it would be "inappropriate" amid talks on a nuclear deal.
"Well, I'd like to be honest, yes I did," Trump said when asked if he had told Netanyahu in a call last week not to take any action that could disrupt Washington's talks with Tehran.
Pressed on what he told the Israeli premier, Trump replied: "I just said I don't think it's appropriate, we're having very good discussions with them."
He added: "I told him this would be inappropriate to do right now because we're very close to a solution.
"I think they want to make a deal, and if we can make a deal, save a lot of lives."
Tehran and Washington have in recent weeks held five rounds of talks focused on the issue -- their highest-level contact since the US in 2018 withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal during Trump's first term.
Iran said earlier Wednesday it may consider allowing US inspectors with the United Nations nuclear watchdog to inspect its facilities if a deal is reached with the United States.
But Israel has repeatedly threatened military action against arch-enemy Iran and US media reports last week said Israel was making preparations to strike Iranian nuclear sites despite the ongoing US-Iran talks.
Trump has not ruled out military action but said he wants space to make a deal first -- and has also said that Israel, and not the United States -- would take the lead in any such strikes.
Iran has long been accused by Western powers of seeking to develop nuclear weapons -- a claim Tehran has consistently denied, insisting its nuclear program is solely for peaceful, civilian purposes.
AFP
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