Trump: 'We're in very deep' talks with Hamas, some hostages could have 'not too long ago died'

[ad_1] US President Donald Trump mentioned Friday that the US is concerned in “very deep negotiations” with Hamas to free the remaining hostages held in Gaza, however added that a few of the 20 captives believed to nonetheless be alive could have “not too long ago died.”

“We’re in very deep negotiations with Hamas. We mentioned, ‘let ’em all out, proper now, let ’em all out, and a lot better issues will occur'” Trump mentioned after being requested by a reporter within the Oval Workplace in regards to the standing of the mediated hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

He gave no particulars of the talks, however studies mentioned US envoy Steve Witkoff met in Paris with Qatari officers on Thursday to debate efforts to achieve a ceasefire and hostage launch deal in Gaza.

Trump added that if Hamas doesn’t return the captives from Gaza “it’s going to be a tricky state of affairs, it’s going to be nasty… Israel’s selection, however that’s my opinion,” apparently referring to Israel’s plans to beat Gaza Metropolis.

Referring to folks of the slain hostages, who Trump described as “younger stunning lifeless folks,” he mentioned they “need them each bit as a lot — virtually extra — than as if their son or daughter have been alive. However you've many lifeless folks which can be popping out as a part of the deal.”

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By signing up, you comply with the terms Of the at the least 20 hostages believed to be alive, Trump mentioned that “there may very well be some that not too long ago died, is what I’m listening to. I hope that’s mistaken.”

Trump’s feedback on the standing of the dwelling hostages adopted up on related comments he made final month, when he brought about misery amongst hostage households by suggesting that fewer than 20 hostages remained alive. Based on official Israeli tallies, 48 hostages stay in captivity, 26 of whom have been declared lifeless. Authorities have expressed “grave concern” in regards to the lives of two others.

‼️‼️ President Trump says the US administration is in deep negotiations with Hamas calling them to launch all hostages…

He additionally revealed that Jared Kushner is concerned within the negotiations . pic.twitter.com/xzO9VpWVC4

— Hiba Nasr (@HibaNasr) September 5, 2025

Gal Hirsch, the federal government’s level man on the hostages, mentioned on the time that Israel was not conscious of any change to the variety of dwelling hostages, regardless of Trump’s claims. Israel has not but commented on Trump’s newest assertion.

Trump additionally reiterated the purpose he made in a Fact Social post Thursday, during which he referred to as on Hamas to launch the remaining dwelling hostages instantly, indicating that the US may settle for the fear group’s survival if it does so.

“I used to be the one who, myself and my folks, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner was nice on this — however they obtained lots of people out,” Trump continued, suggesting his son-in-law, who was a senior White Home adviser throughout his first time period, was concerned within the negotiations.

“I all the time mentioned whenever you get all the way down to the ultimate 10 or 20 you’re not going to get them out except you’re going to do lots. And doing lots means capitulation, that’s no good both. It’s a really powerful state of affairs,” he added.

He additionally mentioned that “folks neglect October 7,” referencing the 2023 Hamas-led assaults that killed some 1,200 folks and noticed one other 251 taken hostage to Gaza, including that “it's a must to put that into the equation very strongly.”

Trump additionally commented on the “large demonstrations” in Israel backing a hostage deal and calling for an finish to the conflict in Gaza, saying they “put Israel in a tricky place” by making it more durable to “prosecute a conflict.”

This argument considerably echoed ones made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in opposition to the hostage household protesters, claiming that they play into the palms of Hamas by putting public strain on the federal government reasonably than on Hamas. The households have countered that that is partially as a result of they’ve misplaced religion within the authorities and don’t consider it's performing to save lots of their family members, however reasonably to stay in energy by extending the conflict.

‼️. Additionally Trump repeated his earlier statements to Hamas : In the event that they launch the hostages good issues will occur & in any other case it will be nasty . pic.twitter.com/80L0bzVYeJ

— Hiba Nasr (@HibaNasr) September 5, 2025

Trump additionally on Friday signed an executive order that may let the US designate nations as state sponsors of wrongful detention, utilizing the specter of related sanctions to discourage People from being detained overseas or taken hostage.

The designation, just like the state sponsors of terrorism designation that the US already imposes on some nations, will enable the State Division to focus on international locations falling below the label with penalties akin to financial restrictions, restrictions on visas for these concerned and journey restrictions for People to these international locations.

Whereas the order didn't particularly point out Israel or the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, a number of US residents have been taken captive by terror teams on October 7, and the Trump administration has made main efforts in returning American hostages, particularly the one-off settlement with Hamas reached in Might to launch the ultimate dwelling twin US-Israeli captive Edan Alexander unconditionally.

It's unclear if or how this order would apply to Hamas, which is already designated as a terror group by the US and isn't a state actor.

US President Donald Trump reveals a signed govt order as Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth seems on within the Oval Workplace of the White Home in Washington, on September 5, 2025. (Mandel Ngan/AFP)

Responding to Trump’s feedback, the Hostage and Lacking Households Discussion board thanked him and Witkoff “for his or her unwavering willpower, braveness and compassion” in advancing the hostage-ceasefire talks.

“We provide particular because of President Trump, who's making each effort to satisfy his promise to convey them dwelling. We pray this may occur quickly,” mentioned the Discussion board in a press release, including that Israelis have rallied en masse in current weeks “with a transparent name: finish the conflict and produce all hostages dwelling.”

The assertion additionally welcomed Trump’s new govt order. “President Trump demonstrates that true management is measured by daring selections. We're grateful for his current govt order that sends a transparent message to the world that hostage-taking is basically mistaken and won't be tolerated by the US administration,” mentioned the assertion.

“We're assured that President Trump and Ambassador Witkoff will faithfully characterize Israel’s pursuits in these negotiations and produce all events to a complete settlement,” the Discussion board mentioned, calling on the Israeli authorities to help Trump’s efforts.

Report: Halevi pushed for complete deal final 12 months Former IDF Chief of Employees Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi tried to persuade Netanyahu to just accept a deal that may have seen all of the hostages freed forward of the Rafah offensive final 12 months, and the premier firmly rejected the proposal, the Kan public broadcaster reported on Friday.

Unnamed sources informed the outlet that within the months earlier than the IDF operation within the southern Gaza metropolis of Rafah, Halevi pushed for a ceasefire deal that may see all of the hostages launched in a single section.

Based on the plan formulated by the army, the discharge of all of the hostages held in Gaza would make it simpler for the IDF to defeat the Hamas terror group.

The report mentioned that when Halevi raised the proposal at a gathering of the high-level safety cupboard, Netanyahu rapidly rejected it as “defeat.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and IDF Chief of Employees Herzi Halevi (proper) comply with Israel’s strike in Yemen from the IAF operations room on the Kirya Headquarters in Tel Aviv, July 20, 2024. (Ariel Hermoni/Protection Ministry)

The report mentioned that the dismissal of the plan was so agency that it wasn’t even urged to the crew negotiating a hostage-ceasefire deal, with Netanyahu’s authorities as an alternative pushing for a partial deal that may have had hostages launched in phases.

The Prime Minister’s Workplace didn't reply to a request for touch upon the report, Kan added.

Final month, Hamas mentioned it agreed to a partial deal, almost similar to at least one agreed to by Israel weeks prior, that may see 10 dwelling hostages launched and the stays of 18 lifeless hostages returned, in trade for the discharge of a whole bunch of Palestinian safety prisoners and a few 1,000 Gazan detainees, and a 60-day ceasefire, throughout which negotiations could be held for the return of the remaining 20 hostages, of whom 10-12 are believed to be alive, and a everlasting finish to the conflict.

Regardless of this settlement, Israel has mentioned it's now not pursuing phased offers, and is now demanding a complete settlement to return all of the captives in a single go and have Hamas give up.

The Prime Minister’s Workplace has mentioned mentioned the conflict can finish instantly if 5 situations are met — the discharge of all hostages; the disarmament of Hamas; the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip; Israeli safety management in Gaza; and “the institution of another civilian administration that doesn't indoctrinate for terror, doesn't dispatch terror, and doesn't threaten Israel.”

Members of the family of hostages from Kibbutz Nir Oz who're held in Gaza, along with former hostages, maintain a protest in Carmei Gat, marking 700 days of captivity and calling for the discharge of all hostages, September 5, 2025 (Tsafrir Abayov/Flash90)

On Wednesday, Palestinian-American political activist Bishara Bahbah, who has been mediating between the Trump administration and the Hamas terror group, mentioned that the US presented mediators with a ultimate ceasefire proposal for a complete deal to finish the conflict and free all of the hostages held in Gaza.

Bahbah, who isn't an official member of the US negotiating crew however has been serving as a liaison between the Trump administration and Hamas, mentioned that he reached out to the fear group with the newest phrases, and that they responded positively to the proposal.

Hamas later launched a press release saying it was prepared “to enter right into a complete deal” to free the remaining hostages “in trade for an agreed-upon variety of Palestinian prisoners held by the occupation,” and mentioned that it was able to kind “an unbiased nationwide administration of technocrats” to run Gaza.

Nevertheless, Israel dismissed Hamas’s announcement on Wednesday evening as “spin,” because the Israel Protection Forces continued to advance its plan to beat Gaza Metropolis.

This image reveals tents housing displaced Palestinians in Gaza Metropolis on September 1, 2025. Nearly two years since Israel started its marketing campaign in Gaza after Hamas militants’ October 7, 2023 assault, swathes of the Palestinian territory have been decreased to rubble and the overwhelming majority of its inhabitants has been displaced at the least as soon as. (Photograph by BASHAR TALEB / AFP)

IDF mentioned to assume Hamas could transfer captives from Gaza Metropolis As Israel presses forward with its plan to beat Gaza Metropolis, the IDF assesses that Hamas could attempt to transfer the hostages held in Gaza Metropolis forward of the intensified army operation there, Channel 13 reported on Friday evening.

The report says that the army believes that the video of hostages Alon Ohel and Guy Gilboa-Dalal , launched Friday by the fear group however apparently dated August 28, 2025, was filmed in an space of the Shati refugee camp, the place the IDF isn't current.

Based on Channel 13, the army admits that they don't have a whole intelligence image of the areas of all of the hostages held in Gaza.

A woman rides via the damaged windshield on the entrance of a car transporting folks and their belongings whereas evacuating southbound from Gaza Metropolis on September 2, 2025 (Eyad BABA / AFP)

Protection officers have warned that the takeover operation will put the hostages at higher hazard, and the Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board on Friday urged the federal government to safe a deal for the captives’ launch reasonably than go ahead with the brand new marketing campaign.

“It’s laborious to foretell how Hamas will behave with the hostages, in the event that they’ll guard them or in the event that they’ll use them as a protect, or, God forbid, kill a few of them as manipulation,” a army supply informed the Ynet information outlet on Friday.

“It’s clear that the operation endangers them,” the supply mentioned.

IDF Chief of Employees Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir surveys Gaza Metropolis and evaluations operational plans with IDF commanders because the army prepares to advance its offensive within the metropolis, September 3, 2025. (Israel Protection Forces)

IDF Chief of Employees Eyal Zamir has repeatedly warned in non-public boards that the operation will endanger the hostages, and has reportedly urged the federal government to just accept the phased deal that Hamas mentioned it had agreed to, shortly after Israel declared it might solely settle for a deal for all of the hostages to be launched without delay.

Different prime officers within the army and safety institution are reported to oppose the Gaza Metropolis takeover, which the IDF estimates may take months to finish.

Zamir can be mentioned to have warned that the plan will precede one other main operation to beat the refugee camps in central Gaza, after which drag Israel right into a full-fledged occupation of the Strip.

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