Trump Ensures US Is Negotiating With Hamas, Desak Releases Hostage

Tents of Gazans / DOKmen UNICEF / Mohammed Nateel

JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump said Washington was in "very deep" negotiations with the Palestinian militant group, Hamas, and urged them to release all hostages held in Gaza.

"We are in very deep negotiations with Hamas," Trump said.

According to Trump, the situation would be "difficult" and "bad" if Hamas continued to hold Israelis hostage.

"We said let them all out, right now. And much better things will happen to them, but if you don't let them all come out, the situation will be difficult, the situation will be bad," Trump said.

Palestinian militants took more than 250 people hostage to Gaza after the October 2023 attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.

The Israeli attack, an US ally, in Gaza killed tens of thousands of people, displaced the entire population of Gaza internally, and sparked allegations of genocide and war crimes in international courts and from several human rights groups. Israel denies the allegations.

Trump has promised to end the war in Gaza soon during his presidential campaign, but his resolution is still difficult to achieve.

About 50 Israeli hostages are still being held by Hamas in Gaza, with 20 people estimated to be alive.

Hamas said it would release some hostages as a temporary ceasefire. Meanwhile, Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to release all hostages.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously insisted the war in Gaza would only end if all hostages were released, his weapons stripped Hamas including Israel established security control over the region until an alternative civilian government was formed.

Hamas demands an end to Israel's war and withdrawal from Gaza.