President Donald Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for White House talks early this morning, while Israeli officials held indirect negotiations with Hamas aimed at securing a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal.
Netanyahu’s visit follows Trump’s prediction, on the eve of their meeting, that such an agreement could be reached this week. Before heading to Washington, the Israeli leader said his discussions with Trump could help advance negotiations underway in Qatar between Israel and the Palestinian group.
It was Trump’s third face-to-face encounter with Netanyahu since returning to office in January, and came just over two weeks after the president ordered the bombing of Iranian nuclear sites in support of Israeli air strikes. Trump then helped arrange a ceasefire in the 12-day Israel-Iran war.
Trump and his aides appeared to be trying to seize on any momentum created by the weakening of Iran, which backs Hamas, to push both sides for a breakthrough in the 21-month Gaza war. He said he also wants to discuss with Netanyahu the prospects for a “permanent deal” with Iran, Israel’s regional arch-foe.
The two leaders were scheduled to have a private dinner instead of formal talks in the Oval Office, where the president usually greets visiting dignitaries.
After arriving overnight in Washington, Netanyahu met earlier Trump’s Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in preparation for his talks with the president. He plans to visit the US Capitol today to see congressional leaders.
Ahead of the visit, Netanyahu told reporters he would thank Trump for the US air strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, and said Israeli negotiators were driving for a deal on Gaza in Doha, Qatar’s capital.
Israeli officials also hope the outcome of the conflict with Iran will pave the way for normalisation of relations with more of its neighbours such as Lebanon, Syria and Saudi Arabia, another issue expected to be on the agenda with Trump.
Witkoff, who played a major role in crafting the 60-day ceasefire proposal at the centre of the Qatar negotiations, will travel to Doha this week to join discussions there, White House Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters yesterday.
In a sign of continued gaps between the two sides, Palestinian sources said Israel’s refusal to allow the free and safe entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza remains the main obstacle to progress in the indirect talks.
On the second day of negotiations, mediators hosted one round and talks were expected to resume in the evening, the Palestinian sources told Reuters.
The US-backed proposal envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals from parts of Gaza and discussions on ending the war entirely.
Hamas has long demanded a final end to the war before it would free remaining hostages; Israel has insisted it would not agree to halt fighting until all hostages are released and Hamas dismantled.
Trump told reporters last week that he would be “very firm” with Netanyahu on the need for a speedy Gaza deal and that the Israeli leader also wanted to end the war.
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