Trump Wants Gaza Deal 'Straightened Out' Within The Next Week

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President Trump on Sunday said he hopes a ceasefire deal in Gaza can be finalized within this week, in comments made to reporters before boarding a flight to attend yesterday's FIFA Club World Cup Final.

When asked about the ongoing crisis in Gaza, he responded, "We’re talking, and hopefully we’ll get that straightened out over the next week. Let’s see what happens."

While there had been anticipation in Israel for a deal announcement during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent visit to Washington DC last week, recent days have seen the typical non-committal, ambiguous statements out of both Washington and Tel Aviv. The war looks to have no solutions, given the stated goals of Israel and the United States.

Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff expressed optimism Sunday, saying he was "hopeful" an agreement could be reached. 

But as it stands the Netanyahu government is still insisting on the full disarming of Hamas, while Hamas for its part wants full withdrawal of the Israeli military.

Neither is expected to happen, and at this point it looks to be a fight to the death - with Israeli hostages still in limbo (and many feared dead) - and thousands of Palestinian civilians getting slaughtered each week.

Currently, a plan floated by some Israeli officials for a designated 'humanitarian city' inside a sector of Gaza has continued to be met with immense pushback. Critics call it in effect a "concentration camp" - while many within Israel say it is logistically impossible.

The plan was announced by Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz last week:

Israeli affairs analyst, Dan Perry, says the plan to build a “humanitarian city” would involve “by all indications a very long process” to build and maintain, while the country does not have the “funds or the energy or the desire” to do so.

“I think this has to be viewed in the context of the current negotiations where the very reporting of such a plan might be an effort to put pressure on Hamas to show more flexibility,” Perry told Al Jazeera.

“I agree with [opposition leader Yair] Lapid that it is a security, political and logistical nightmare. I would add that it’s ethically inadmissible,” he added.

And so it is unlikely to get off the ground. In the meantime aid delivery continues to also be mired in controversy and scandal, as American military contractors have reportedly fired on hungry Palestinians.

Reports say the IDF troops have shot dead scores of Palestinians seeking the aid, and UN and international rights groups have slammed the unsafe aid station set-ups.

Al Jazeera provides some Monday updates on the situation as follows:

  • At least 47 people killed across Gaza today, including Palestinians gathered near aid centre.
  • Israeli forces continue bombarding Gaza a day after killing 95 Palestinians across the Strip.
  • Criticisms of Israel’s plan to set up an internment camp in Gaza are growing, with Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid saying it would amount to a “concentration camp” if Palestinians there are not allowed to leave.
  • Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 58,026 people and wounded 138,520, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7, 2023, attacks, and more than 200 were taken captive.

    • And below are more regional and global headlines via Newsquawk.

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    Geopolitics: Middle East

  • Iran Foreign Ministry spokesperson says Tehran will respond to the return of UN sanctions after snapback mechanism. No date or location for US/Iran nuclear talks. Will not restart US talks unless we are certain they will work.
  • Israeli official said talks in Doha are ongoing with Hamas for a ceasefire and hostage deal but noted Hamas is sticking to positions that do not allow mediators to advance an agreement.
  • US envoy to the Middle East Witkoff said he is hopeful on Gaza ceasefire negotiations and was said to meet senior Qataris in New Jersey on Sunday.
  • Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi said they are carefully assessing options for talks with the US.

    • Ukraine

  • US President Trump is considering greenlighting new funding for Ukraine to send a message to Russia, according to CBS. It was separately reported that President Trump is to announce an "aggressive" Ukraine weapons plan on Monday to arm Ukraine which is expected to include offensive weapons, according to Axios.
  • EU envoys are nearing an agreement on lower Russian oil price cap, according to Reuters.
  • Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency accused Russia’s FSB of being behind the murder of an SBU Colonel in Kyiv last week and said agents responsible for the murder were killed during an operation to apprehend them.
  • IAEA team at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant reported hearing hundreds of rounds of small arms fire on Saturday night.
  • Russia’s Defence Ministry said Russian forces took control of Myrne and Mykolaivka in eastern Ukraine.
  • North Korean leader Kim reaffirmed unconditional support for Moscow’s actions in the Ukraine war during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, while North Korea and Russia pledged cooperation to safeguard each other’s territorial integrity. Furthermore, Russia expressed firm opposition to any attempt to undermine North Korea’s national security and sovereignty, while it was also stated that Moscow wants to further strengthen the strategic partnership.
  • Ukrainian President Zelensky's Chief of staff says US Special Envoy Kellogg has arrived in Kyiv to discuss security and sanctions against Russia.
  • Russian President Putin's envoy Dmitriyev says Russia-US dialogue will continue.
  • Russia's Kremlin says it is obvious Ukraine is not in a hurry on peace negotiations, "we await timing of third round of talks".

    • Other

  • North Korea warned it stands ready to take military action against threats from the US, Japan and South Korea following recent joint air drills involving a strategic US bomber, according to KCNA.

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