By Emeka Blast 
Gaza Bloodshed Prompts Trump’s Call to ‘Make the Deal’
U.S. President Donald Trump issued an urgent call for a ceasefire in Gaza on Sunday, posting on Truth Social, “MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!” The plea came amid reports of intensified Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, with Gaza’s Health Ministry stating that 88 Palestinians were killed in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to over 54,000 since the conflict escalated on October 7, 2023.
The strikes, which began late Friday and continued into Saturday, targeted areas including Gaza City, Jabalia, and Khan Younis, with medics reporting at least 23 deaths overnight, including 12 in a single strike on a residential building in Jabalia. A particularly devastating attack hit the UNRWA-run Osama bin Zaid school in Saftawi, western Jabalia, on June 27, setting a classroom ablaze and killing several sheltering civilians, according to AFP images. The IDF claimed the strikes targeted Hamas operatives, including a veteran planner of the October 7 attack, but has not confirmed civilian casualty figures.
Trump’s statement, posted early Sunday between comments on a Senate vote for his tax and spending cuts bill, reflects his repeated calls for an end to the 20-month conflict. Despite an eight-week ceasefire brokered in January 2025, just as Trump took office, recent negotiations have stalled. A senior Israeli security official told Reuters that expanding military operations risks endangering the 54 remaining hostages, 23 of whom are believed alive, a concern echoed by families of captives, who protested in Tel Aviv on Saturday, likening phased hostage releases to “Nazi selection.”
Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya, speaking on Al-Aqsa TV, acknowledged intensified ceasefire talks but insisted on a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as a precondition. Trump, who has claimed progress in negotiations, told reporters Friday, “I think it’s close. We think within the next week, we’re going to get a ceasefire,” raising hopes despite the lack of concrete advancements.
The escalation follows Israel’s recent strikes on Iran, which killed over 30 security chiefs and 11 nuclear scientists, and raids in southern Syria, signaling a broader regional strategy. Trump also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial, calling it a “political witch hunt” that hinders ceasefire efforts, drawing parallels to his own legal battles.
The international community, including UN human rights chief Volker Türk, has condemned the rising civilian toll, with calls for urgent de-escalation. UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting also denounced related settler violence in the West Bank, where three Palestinians were killed on Wednesday. As Gaza’s humanitarian crisis worsens, with hospitals like Al-Shifa overwhelmed, Trump’s push for a deal underscores the urgency of resolving the conflict and securing the hostages’ release.
