US envoys head to Mideast as Trump warns Hamas against peace deal delay

WASHINGTON: Donald Trump’s son-in-law and a senior envoy were heading to Egypt Saturday to finalize hostage release details, as the US president warned he would “not tolerate delay” by Hamas in implementing a peace deal with Israel.

A White House official confirmed that Jared Kushner and Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff are traveling to the region to address the finalization of details on the release of hostages and to discuss the deal pushed by the US president to bring an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The Palestinian group on Friday reacted positively to a peace plan to end two years of war, saying it was ready to release all hostages and discuss details on the peace plan.

Trump in turn called on Israel to “immediately” halt its bombings of the war-ravaged territory.

UN rights chief hails chance to stop Gaza carnage ‘once and for all’

Then on Saturday he suggested the shelling had stopped – even as Israel said its troops were still operating in Gaza and the enclave’s civil defense agency said Israel carried out dozens of “violent” air strikes on Gaza City overnight.

“I appreciate that Israel has temporarily stopped the bombing in order to give the Hostage release and Peace Deal a chance to be completed,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

“Hamas must move quickly, or else all bets will be off. I will not tolerate delay, which many think will happen, or any outcome where Gaza poses a threat again,” he added.

“Let’s get this done, FAST. Everyone will be treated fairly!”

Trump’s proposal calls for a halt to hostilities, the release of hostages within 72 hours, a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and Hamas’s disarmament.