Trump says Gaza ceasefire deal could be next week

US President Donald Trump said Saturday that it was a “good thing” that Hamas has responded in “positive spirit” on a US-brokered ceasefire proposal.

Speaking to journalists on board Air Force, he said that there could be a deal on a Gaza ceasefire by next week, but added that he has no information regarding the current state of negotiations.

Meanwhile, Israeli media reported  that Israel has received Hamas’s response on the  ceasefire proposal and is currently looking into details.

In the late hours of Friday, Hamas has said it has given its response to the ceasefire proposal to the mediators after consultations with Palestinian forces and factions.

“The movement has submitted a positive response to the mediators, and the movement is fully prepared to immediately enter into a round of negotiations regarding the mechanism for implementing this framework,” the group said in a statement posted on Telegram.

In response, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement announced  its support to Hamas’s plans to start negotiations with Israel on a ceasefire in Gaza, but demanded additional “guarantees” to ensure the truce would be permanent.

“We presented [Hamas] a number of detailed points on the mechanism for putting in place the mediators’ proposal, and we want additional guarantees to assure us [that Israel] will not resume its aggression after [the captives] are freed,” Islamic Jihad said in a statement.