A freed hostage from Gaza has called on President Donald Trump to save the remaining hostages by ending the war, arguing that the U.S. president is the reason he has his own freedom.
Yarden Bibas, who was freed from his captivity by the Hamas terrorist group in January, conducted his first interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes. When asked about what message he would give the president, Bibas urged Trump to “stop this war” in Gaza and bring all the hostages home, adding that “I know he can” achieve this.
“I am here because of Trump; I’m here only because of him,” Bibas said. “I think he’s the only one who can stop this war again.”
Bibas addressed a letter he gave to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pleading for him to cease the fighting “because we still have people [hostages] there.” He also expressed doubt that continuing the war would pressure Hamas into releasing its hostages.
On the possibility of Trump negotiating a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Bibas acknowledged that the president would need to convince both Netanyahu and the terrorist group to agree to a ceasefire, but that he believes Trump can achieve it.
Earlier this month, Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas by launching a new wave of strikes. Netanyahu has also vowed to continue its strikes against Hamas targets amid negotiations for another deal.
Hamas stated over the weekend that it had agreed to a new ceasefire proposal from mediators Egypt and Qatar, though Israel has claimed it has made a counterproposal in “full coordination” with the United States.