Washington, July 9: U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday in a bid to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, as indirect talks between Israel and Hamas entered a second day in Doha.
The meeting marked Netanyahu’s third visit to Washington since Trump returned to office and came amid mounting pressure to end the 22-month-long war in Gaza. Trump expressed confidence that a breakthrough was possible, saying Hamas was showing willingness to end hostilities.
“They want to meet and they want to have that ceasefire,” Trump told reporters at the start of a dinner with Netanyahu. “I don’t think there is a hold-up. I think things are going along very well.”
The meeting coincided with ongoing negotiations in Qatar, where Israeli and Hamas representatives are holding indirect discussions under Qatari mediation. U.S. officials said Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to join the talks later this week.
A U.S.-brokered proposal under discussion includes a 60-day truce during which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of others in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, according to Palestinian sources. The plan also includes provisions for Israeli withdrawal, guarantees against renewed fighting, and the resumption of UN-led humanitarian aid distribution in Gaza.
A Palestinian official familiar with the talks said Monday’s session ended without a breakthrough, but negotiations are expected to continue in the coming days.
Trump’s administration has strongly backed Israel throughout the conflict, including supporting Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. However, the president has recently emphasized the need to end what he called the “hell” in Gaza.
“The utmost priority for the president right now in the Middle East is to end the war in Gaza and to return all of the hostages,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. She added that Trump wants Hamas to agree to the U.S. ceasefire proposal “right now,” following Israel’s conditional backing of the plan.
During the White House meeting, Netanyahu presented Trump with a letter nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize, calling him a “peacemaker forging stability across the region.”
However, the Israeli leader struck a harder line on the Palestinian issue, rejecting the establishment of a fully sovereign Palestinian state. “Israel will always maintain security control over the Gaza Strip,” Netanyahu said. “Now, people will say it’s not a complete state. We don’t care.”
Outside the White House, several dozen protesters demonstrated against the Israeli offensive, accusing Netanyahu of committing genocide.
The war, triggered by Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel in October 2023, has left more than 57,000 people dead in Gaza and over 1,200 in Israel, according to figures from the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry and Israeli officials, respectively. The UN considers the Gaza death toll credible, with most of the casualties reported as civilians.
The Gaza Civil Defense agency said Israeli forces killed at least 12 people on Monday, including six in a clinic sheltering displaced residents.
Of the 251 hostages taken during the 2023 Hamas attack, 49 remain in captivity, including 27 confirmed dead, according to Israeli military data. The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, with over 2 million residents facing dire conditions amid ongoing airstrikes and limited access to aid.
