Despite progress in discussions, key issues remain unresolved in the ongoing Gaza ceasefire negotiations.
Trump and Netanyahu's Ceasefire Negotiations: Progress and Stalemates
Trump and Netanyahu's Ceasefire Negotiations: Progress and Stalemates
In a second consecutive meeting, Trump and Netanyahu focus on resolving the Gaza conflict.
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened for a pivotal meeting on Tuesday evening, marking their second discussion in just as many days regarding the ongoing hostilities in Gaza. This meeting follows comments from Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, indicating that there remained one principal issue preventing the finalization of a potential 60-day ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Netanyahu arrived at the White House shortly after 5 PM EST (9 PM GMT) for the closed-door meeting, which did not include press coverage. Earlier that day, Netanyahu had interacted with Vice-President JD Vance and had a lengthy dinner meeting with Trump on Monday night—signifying Netanyahu's third visit to the United States during Trump's second term.
The duration of the leaders' discussions was approximately two hours. Following the meeting, Netanyahu communicated with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, emphasizing that while Israel's military campaign in Gaza was not yet complete, negotiations towards a ceasefire were actively progressing. "We still have to finish the job in Gaza, to release all our hostages, and to eliminate and destroy Hamas' military and governmental capabilities," stated Netanyahu.
Witkoff later reported a narrowing of the gaps between Israel and Hamas, stating that negotiations were closing in on an agreement. "We had four issues and now we're down to one," he mentioned, inviting optimism regarding the potential for a ceasefire deal that would also encompass the release of ten living hostages and the remains of nine deceased individuals.
Before Netanyahu's discussion with Trump, a delegation from Qatar met with US officials for extensive talks, as reported by Axios. Trump remarked on Monday evening that the ceasefire discussions were "going very well." However, a spokesperson for Qatar's foreign ministry, Majed Al-Ansari, emphasized the necessity for additional time to reach an agreement, indicating uncertainty about a timeline.
Prior to the resumption of talks on Tuesday, a Palestinian source informed the BBC that significant headway had not yet been made in the negotiations. The current series of discussions commenced on Sunday amidst continuing violence in Gaza, which has escalated since the onset of hostilities following a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The attack resulted in the loss of 1,200 lives and 251 hostages taken, according to Israeli reports. In retaliation, Israeli military operations have claimed at least 57,500 lives in Gaza, as noted by the territory's health ministry under Hamas governance.
