By News18
US President Donald Trump has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make a deal with Hamas and end the 20-month war in Gaza.
鈥淢AKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!鈥 Trump wrote early Sunday on his platform, Truth Social. His post came after he helped broker a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
Trump鈥檚 latest comments add to growing pressure on Netanyahu, both at home and abroad, to end the conflict and focus on securing the release of hostages still held in Gaza.
The Gaza war, which began after a deadly Hamas attack in October 2023, has killed over 56,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to Gaza鈥檚 health ministry, and more than 1,200 Israelis. The conflict continues to draw international concern, particularly over the humanitarian crisis in the besieged territory.
The renewed push for peace follows a brief 12-day war between Israel and Iran, which ended last week.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel鈥檚 鈥渧ictory鈥 in that conflict had opened new opportunities, including efforts to free the remaining hostages taken by Palestinian militants.