From the Liveblog of
Sunday, September 28, 2025
Trump: Talks on Gaza deal in ‘final stages,’ ‘Bibi wants peace,’ Hamas ‘respects Arab world’
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleNava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.
US President Donald Trump tells the Axios news site and Channel 12 news that talks over Washington’s plan to end the war in Gaza are “at their final stages,” expressing hope that an agreement could be announced within the next two days, following his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House tomorrow.
“Everybody has come together to get a deal, but we still have to get it done,” Trump tells Axios reporter Barak Ravid in a phone interview, adding: “The Arab countries were fantastic to work with on this, and Hamas is coming with them. [Hamas has] great respect for the Arab world.”
“The Arab world wants peace, Israel wants peace and Bibi wants peace,” Trump says, using Netanyahu’s nickname.
Trump adds that his plan aims not only to end the Gaza war but also to open the door to wider regional peace.
“If we get this done, it will be a great day for Israel and for the Middle East,” he says. “It will be the first chance for real peace in the Middle East. But we have to get it done first.”
Speaking on Israel’s Channel 12, Ravid adds that Trump said he hopes to finalize an agreement during Monday’s meeting and announce it the same day or the next.
The Times of Israel Community.