President Donald Trump has stated that he will be “very firm” with Benjamin Netanyahu in order to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza. This comes just days before he is set to host the Israeli Prime Minister in Washington to discuss the ongoing war in Gaza and tensions with Iran.
In response to a question about his approach to Netanyahu during the upcoming visit on Monday, Trump declared, “Very firm, very firm.” He noted that Netanyahu is also interested in a ceasefire, saying, “He will be there next week. He wants to settle this matter as well.”
Trump made these comments during a visit to a new facility for detaining undocumented immigrants in Florida, known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”
Prior to this visit, he mentioned that the U.S. is pushing for a truce between Israel and Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by Germany, the European Union, the U.S., and other nations.
When asked by reporters whether a ceasefire in Gaza could be achieved before Netanyahu’s visit, Trump replied, “We hope to achieve that, and we hope it happens sometime next week.”
The prospect of a ceasefire agreement between Iran and Israel, following a 12-day conflict, has raised hopes of ending the fighting in Gaza. The ongoing clashes, which have persisted for over 20 months, have created catastrophic humanitarian conditions for the more than two million residents of the region.
On Friday, Trump indicated that a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is “close.”
Meanwhile, Axios reported that a meeting scheduled for “Tuesday” is set to take place between U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Wittkoff and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer to discuss U.S. proposals regarding a post-war framework for Gaza.
The report confirmed that Wittkoff is expected to brief Dermer on efforts to secure a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas.
Axios noted that Wittkoff has recently been in contact with Qatari and Egyptian officials to formulate an updated proposal, emphasizing that he conveyed to mediators that Trump intends to push for an agreement in the coming days.
The site also quoted an Israeli official stating that Trump’s ideas for the post-war situation in Gaza are quite general.
The Israeli official added that Tel Aviv is willing to adjust the language of the agreement to make it more acceptable to Hamas, although it will not agree in advance to a halt in the Gaza conflict.
According to Israeli public broadcasting, President Trump is aiming to advance a major deal that includes ending the war in Gaza, the release of detainees, and facilitating normalization processes between Israel and Arab nations.
Israeli officials indicated that Dermer’s visit aims to pave the way for the upcoming meeting between Netanyahu and Trump at the White House on Monday. The post-war plan backed by Trump, which outlines who will govern Gaza without “Hamas” and the security guarantees to prevent the group’s return, is essential for any agreement to end the conflict. If a temporary ceasefire is reached, the plan could serve as a foundation for indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas regarding a permanent ceasefire.