Trump administration reportedly urges Israel to delay major Gaza operation due to hostage deal negotiations

The Trump administration has asked the Israeli government to delay a planned major Gaza ground operation against Hamas due to ongoing hostage deal negotiations, according to a Jerusalem Post report on Sunday. Two unnamed sources familiar with the issue said the U.S. government seeks to exhaust all diplomatic efforts to release more hostages ahead of the major IDF operation. 

Earlier this month, the Israeli government greenlit Operation “Gideon’s Chariots,” a new IDF military offensive that aims to defeat Hamas as a military and political force, and secure the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza. Unlike previous IDF operations, the new large-scale ground offensive envisions troops remaining in captured areas of Gaza until Hamas is defeated and the war has ended.

Israeli forces are already engaged in combat against Hamas operatives across the Gaza Strip. 

“Once the maneuver begins, we will act with full force and will not stop until all objectives are achieved,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced a few days ago. 

Washington is reportedly concerned that the planned ground operations will complicate efforts to secure the release of hostages through diplomatic channels. 

Hamas, which initiated the war on Oct. 7, 2023, with a massive terror attack in Israel, is severely weakened and demands an end to the war. The terror group has reportedly demanded the United States to guarantee an end to the war.

The Israeli government has vowed to continue the military operations until Hamas is defeated and the hostages have returned home. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not ruled out a new temporary ceasefire if it facilitates the return of hostages. 

“If there’s an opportunity for a temporary ceasefire to bring back hostages, we are prepared for that,” Netanyahu announced on Wednesday.

Hamas released Edan Alexander, a dual American and Israeli citizen, after 584 days in difficult captivity in Gaza. Alexander, who was serving in the IDF when he was kidnapped on Oct. 7, 2023, was reportedly released as a “goodwill gesture” toward U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently visited the region with stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. 

Alexander, who suffered severe torture in Hamas captivity, is the last living American to be released from Gaza. Hamas and its allies still hold 58 hostages. While it is unclear how many of them are still alive, Israeli and U.S. sources believe that at least 20 hostages are still alive. 

The Israeli government has stressed that one major objective with the military offensive is to pressure Hamas into releasing more hostages. Jerusalem has at the same time announced that it is committed to the “Witkoff framework,” which has been proposed by Trump’s senior envoy Steve Witkoff.

The framework reportedly suggests the release of 10 hostages during a 60-day ceasefire. Israeli sources recently assessed that “It’s deadlocked,” due to Hamas’ refusal to release the hostages in exchange for a temporary truce. 

Informed sources have linked Hamas’ intransigence in the negotiations to Mohammed Sinwar, the brother of the late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and the de facto Hamas leader in Gaza. 

On May 13, Mohammed Sinwar was reportedly killed in an Israeli aerial strike on an underground Hamas compound below the European Hospital in Gaza. Sinwar’s body and the bodies of other senior Hamas officials were reportedly discovered in a Khan Younis tunnel, according to a Saudi news report. 

Some Israeli officials are hopeful that the removal of Sinwar will potentially facilitate the release of the remaining hostages.