Trump says ceasefire deal is close to as Israeli strikes kill 138 Palestinians in Gaza : NPR

GAZA CITY and WASHINGTON – The Israeli army intensified strikes all through Gaza on Friday, at the same time as President Trump signaled that talks a few potential 60-day ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas have been shut.

“We’ll see what occurs – we’re going to know over the subsequent 24 hours,” he informed reporters early Friday morning, saying that it was as much as Hamas to comply with the framework of the deal as a result of Israel already had. Israeli officers haven’t stated publicly whether or not or not they’ve agreed.

Israeli officers haven’t stated publicly whether or not or not they’ve agreed, however have stated there are constructive indicators that they are prepared to barter.

In an announcement launched Friday, Hamas stated it gave mediators a response that “may be characterised as constructive” on the proposal, stressing it is able to begin negotiations in an effort to implement a deal.

A senior Hamas official who was not licensed to talk publicly informed NPR that the group needs ensures to finish the warfare completely – one thing Israel has refused to do in previous negotiations – along with a partial Israeli army withdrawal from the enclave, and for the United Nations to return as the principle distributor of assist in Gaza.

Israel has tasked the Gaza Humanitarian Basis, a personal US-funded contractor, to distribute meals in Gaza after an virtually three month blockade of assist. The distribution websites have been chaotic and infrequently lethal for Palestinians making an attempt to get meals.

Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are anticipated to fulfill in Washington on Monday, the place the 2 will probably focus on the attainable ceasefire. It will likely be Netanyahu’s third journey to the White Home since Trump returned to workplace in January.

The final ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza was in January, and lasted for almost two months, till Israel broke it with a sequence of shock airstrikes.

Earlier within the week, Trump informed Hamas to simply accept the deal, earlier than situations in Gaza change into worse.

“I hope, for the nice of the Center East, that Hamas takes this Deal, as a result of it won’t get higher — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,” he wrote on his social media platform, Reality Social.

Precise particulars of the deal haven’t been made public, however would deal with the return of Israeli hostages who’ve been held in Gaza because the October 2023 Hamas-led assault on southern Israel. There are nonetheless 50 hostages held in Gaza, greater than half of whom are considered lifeless, in accordance with Israel.

Kin grieve over our bodies of relations killed in an Israeli strike on a college sheltering displaced Palestinians close to al-Shifa hospital in Gaza Metropolis on Thursday.

Anas Baba/NPR

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Israeli strikes in Gaza intensify

At al-Shifa hospital in Gaza Metropolis, Palestinians mourned over the our bodies of family members, together with a number of kids, who have been killed in an Israeli strike on a close-by faculty sheltering displaced individuals on Thursday. NPR witnessed a minimum of 9 our bodies within the morgue, whereas dozens of injured have been being handled on the hospital.

Othman Abdu, whose niece misplaced her three kids within the assault, stated he needed to get a message to each side making an attempt to barter a ceasefire deal.

“Sufficient malicious politics,” he stated. “Have mercy on us. There are harmless individuals being killed.”

Hospitals all through Gaza have been flooded with sufferers in current days as Israeli strikes have intensified, at the same time as talks of a attainable ceasefire deal have had some Palestinians cautiously optimistic.

A minimum of 138 Palestinians have been killed and greater than 400 injured on Thursday and Friday, in accordance with Gaza well being officers. Greater than 60 of these killed and lots of of the injured have been ready for assist.

NPR’s Anas Baba reported from Gaza Metropolis. NPR’s Hadeel Al-Shalchi and Alon Avital contributed to this report from Tel Aviv. Abu Bakr Bashir contributed from London and Ahmed Abuhamda contributed from Cairo.

NPR’s Anas Baba reported from Gaza Metropolis. NPR’s Hadeel Al-Shalchi and Alon Avital contributed to this report from Tel Aviv. Abu Bakr Bashir contributed from London and Ahmed Abuhamda contributed from Cairo.