In February, President Donald Trump dropped a rhetorical bomb: he suggested that all of Gaza’s residents be relocated while the United States reconstructed the territory. “The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip,” he declared in a joint press conference with Netanyahu, outlining his vision of a “Riviera of the Middle East.”

Hamas captured 251 hostages during the brutal Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks. Of those, 148 were released following negotiations — 140 alive, eight dead.

While some early progress had been made on select issues, significant gaps remain, an Israeli official confirmed. “We studied Hamas’s reply in depth,” the official said.