US President Donald Trump says the Gaza hostage-ceasefire deal he helped finalize “should hold.”
The comments appear to soften ones he made earlier this week when he said he was not confident that the agreement would hold.
Asked to elaborate on those comments, Trump tells reporters, “It’s a very tricky place.”
Trump credits his Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff for securing the agreement that had been elusive for months. Noting that “both sides” liked Witkoff, Trump says, “That deal would have never been made without Steve.”
“The deal should hold, but if it doesn’t there will be a lot of problems,” Trump warns.
Amid reports that Trump is planning to tap Witkoff to handle US diplomacy with Iran, Trump is asked whether he’ll want him to be negotiating directly with Iran.
“No, but he’s certainly somebody I would use,” Trump says.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Friday, January 24, 2025
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
