Trump’s optimism on Gaza ceasefire during reception of Netanyahu

U.S. President Donald Trump said he believes negotiations to end the Gaza war “go smoothly” because he presided over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, D.C.

Trump is also confident that Hamas is willing to end the 21-month conflict. He said in unexpected words: “They want to meet and want that ceasefire.”

Both leaders were asked about potential plans for relocating Palestinians, and Trump said he had cooperation from countries in Israel’s neighbors.

The meeting ended with the latest indirect ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Qatar without a breakthrough, although negotiations are expected to continue this week.

In his remarks on Monday, a reporter asked Trump what blocked Gaza’s peace deal, saying: “I don’t think it’s shelved. I think the situation is going well.”

Netanyahu said he is working with the United States to find countries that will bring a bright future for the Palestinians.

The President of Palestinian There was before The plan to refusal to relocate Palestinians, which states that it would violate international law.

Netanyahu also appears to downplay the prospect of a comprehensive Palestinian nation, saying Israel will “always” and “always” security control over the Gaza Strip.

“Now, people will say it’s not a complete state, not a state. We don’t care,” Netanyahu said.

At the meeting, the Israeli Prime Minister also said that he had nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, which was reportedly a long-standing goal of the U.S. president.

“He builds peace in one country, one country, one country, one region, one region after another, one region, one region after another,” Netanyahu said in a letter to Trump to the award committee.

Trump has previously said he would end the war with the Israeli Prime Minister “very firm” and said “we will reach an agreement” this week.

The White House initially said that this would not open the meeting between the two leaders to the media, which officials described as a private dinner during which Trump would prioritize ending the war and the return of all hostages.

For a president who likes to be with a platform for foreign leaders in front of the world media, it is unusual for journalists to close the meeting.

The U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal will report that Hamas will release 10 live hostages and 18 dead hostages in a 60-day truce.

Israel will be asked to release unknown numbers of Palestinian prisoners before withdrawing from parts of Gaza, which now controls two-thirds of the territory.

The barriers to trading are still huge.

Hamas insisted on ending the work of the Humanitarian Foundation of Gaza, and the Israeli delegation refused to discuss the issue, and the prominent main issue was related to assistance because they had no right to discuss it.

During his visit, Netanyahu met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.

As Netanyahu’s armored limousine headed to the White House, dozens of protesters gathered at the security gate, waving Palestinian flags and shouting for the Israeli prime minister to be arrested.

Netanyahu, along with his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas commander Mohammed Deif, were signed in November by an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Netanyahu rejected the allegations, saying the warrant was anti-Semitism, while the Trump administration imposed sanctions on four ICC judges because it was called “a baseless action against the United States or our close ally Israel.”

The latest round of negotiations about the Gaza war began in Doha on Sunday, with representatives sitting in different rooms in the same building.

A Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations told AFP that the second session was held on Monday and there was no breakthrough.

Witkoff will attend talks in Doha later this week in a bid to cease fire as the Gaza conflict approaches its 22nd month.

Mike Huckabee, a U.S. in Israel, declined to say in a BBC speech whether Trump would guarantee in writing that the proposed 60-day ceasefire could be extended as long as negotiations continue.

“I don’t know at all,” Huckabee said.

This is one of Hamas’ main requirements and a stumbling block in the current negotiations.

When asked whether he thinks Trump can make a breakthrough with the Israeli leader, Huckabee said: “I’m not a prophet. I can’t predict the future, so I’m not going to try to tell you what will happen.”

Netanyahu will visit the White House for the third time since Trump returned to power nearly six months ago.

But the leaders met for the first time since the United States joined the Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear site and then held a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

There is a strong feeling that the recent 12-day war has created a more favorable environment to end the Gaza war.

A meeting between the United States and Iran will be held around next week, Vikov said at a dinner Monday. Trump also said he wanted to lift sanctions on the Islamic Republic at some point.

The U.S. president has expressed growing concern about the conflict in Gaza in recent weeks and believes there is a “very likely” opportunity for a ceasefire.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said ending the war in Gaza was Trump’s “most important priority” and he hoped Hamas would agree to a 60-day deal “now”.