President Donald Trump said Friday he believes a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip could be imminent, adding, "I think it's close. I've spoken to people involved. We think we'll have a ceasefire within the next week." He made the remarks during a White House press conference, in response to a question about how close the administration was to a deal on Gaza.
Trump elaborated at length about the humanitarian situation in Gaza: "We're sending a lot of money and food to help. In theory, we're not involved, but in practice we are, because people are dying. There are people there without food or anything, and we're the ones bringing it in. Some of it is being stolen and resold. But we now have a good system. The line of people waiting for a single meal is enormous, and nobody else is helping. We're doing it on a humanitarian basis." He added, "We're working to help Gaza. A lot is going there, and other countries need to pitch in too."
Asked whether the Iranians have enriched uranium stored in the mountains near the Natanz nuclear facility, Trump replied, "That's the last thing on their minds. They want to meet with me. They might be telling you they don't want to meet, but think about it, they're under sanctions, they can't do anything. You think they don't want to meet with me? They're not stupid. They've suffered. Israel has suffered too. It was a brutal war, 12 days long."
Trump's comments come ahead of a planned visit to Washington by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who is expected to meet with Trump's team to discuss two key issues: preserving and expanding the strategic gains against Iran, and shaping a Gaza-to-Saudi Arabia roadmap, including ending the war in Gaza as a step toward expanding the Abraham Accords, particularly with Saudi Arabia.
