U.S. President Donald Trump has urged a ceasefire in the besieged Gaza Strip to facilitate the return of hostages. On Sunday morning (May 29), he posted on his social platform Truth Social: “Make a deal in Gaza. Bring our hostages home.”Earlier, Trump had indicated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was engaged in negotiations with Hamas on an agreement that would include provisions for the release of hostages.Meanwhile, within Israel there has been mixed reaction to Netanyahu following Iran’s surprise strike. In March, the prime minister had walked away from a Gaza ceasefire process that was yielding results— a decision some analysts at the time called “political suicide.” That ceasefire effort had been halted.During Trump’s second term, his envoy Steve Whitcraft brokered a Gaza ceasefire agreement before Trump took office, securing the release of several dozen hostages held by Hamas in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners freed from Israeli jails.The next phase was to bring more hostages home and, through negotiations, gradually withdraw Israeli forces from Gaza prior to formally ending the war. War-weary Israelis and Palestinians had begun to envision an end to what had become one of the most destructive conflicts in recent history. However, Netanyahu balked at concluding the war.Many Israelis—especially the families of the hostages—reacted angrily to his decision, accusing him of prioritizing his political survival over their loved ones’ safety and the nation’s broader welfare.Polls show that Netanyahu—commonly known as Bibi—has seen his popularity decline, and he is struggling to unite a fractious government dominated by far-right and hardline religious ministers.
