President Trump announced that ten additional hostages could soon be released from Gaza, as Israeli negotiators navigate complex talks with Hamas in Qatar.
Washington, D.C. — U.S. President Donald Trump announced Friday evening that another group of ten hostages held in Gaza may soon be released, though he offered no specific timeline. The statement came during a dinner with congressional lawmakers at the White House, where the President credited his special envoy Steve Witkoff for leading the negotiation efforts.
“We got most of the hostages back. We’re going to have another 10 coming very shortly, and we hope to have that finished quickly,” Trump said, striking a cautiously optimistic tone.
The announcement aligns with reports from a senior Israeli diplomatic source, who confirmed that significant progress has been made in recent weeks toward reaching a comprehensive hostage deal with Hamas. However, the source emphasized that the negotiations remain delicate and fraught with uncertainty.
“Hamas is behaving as though time is on its side,” the source noted. “But it will find that the battlefield tells a different story.”
Despite ongoing challenges, Israeli representatives remain in Qatar, where mediation efforts continue. The diplomatic source described the current mood as neither entirely hopeful nor pessimistic, but rather, “realistic about Hamas’s conduct.”
A growing concern, according to Israeli officials, is Hamas’s apparent delay tactics. “We are nearing a critical juncture,” the source warned. “Their foot-dragging, while seemingly strategic, could ultimately undermine their own position.”
While the timetable remains unclear, Friday’s developments reflect a potentially pivotal moment in the ongoing talks. Both Israeli and U.S. officials appear increasingly aligned in their urgency to secure the remaining hostages and conclude the prolonged crisis with Hamas.
