Media reported Trump's desire to get Israel's deal with Hamas before inauguration

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's special envoy for the Middle East Steve Whitkoff conveyed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the Republican's desire to achieve a deal between Tel Aviv and the Palestinian movement Hamas before his inauguration on January 20. Axios reported this on January 11, citing Israeli officials.

"Whitkoff met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday (January 11. - Ed.) and emphasized that Trump's goal is to reach a deal by January 20 <...> Another senior Israeli official said that Whitkoff emphasized the 'inauguration day goal' several times during consultations with Netanyahu and the Israeli negotiating team," the material said.

According to the publication's sources, Israel and Hamas have made progress in negotiations in recent days, but contentious issues still remain. At the same time, the portal's interlocutors admitted the possibility of concluding a deal in such a short time.

Crosshairs: preparations for Israel-Hamas deal accelerate for Trump's arrival

Why the Palestinian movement is willing to make concessions

Earlier, on January 10, Netanyahu's office confirmed to Izvestia Tel Aviv's desire to conclude an exchange deal in the near future and contacts with mediators on this issue. The agreement implies, among other things, the exchange of kidnapped Israeli citizens for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Prior to that, on January 5, it was reported that Israel was waiting for Hamas to agree to a hostage deal. According to media reports, all the details have actually already been determined and the deal could be finalized in the coming weeks.

The situation in the Middle East escalated on the morning of October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian radical movement Hamas subjected Israel's territory to a massive rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. On the same day, Israel began retaliatory strikes.