Washington, 9 July 2025:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his predecessor Donald Trump, the ex president of the United States of America, had a meeting today in Washington with the aim of heightening the initiative to put Gaza under ceasefire and release Israeli hostages. The discussions were the third of their kind since 20 January when Trump was sworn into office as the second term president.
Netanyahu said to the press: we still have to complete the mission in Gaza liberate all our hostages and destroy and ruin Hamas military and government capabilities, and negotiations with Trump; could definitely lead to such outcomes, he told the press. During Netanyahu visit, Trump claimed to be very tough on the matters of ending of the war; he discussed a hostage ceasefire accord as going well.
The fresh diplomatic effort is as the indirect negotiations backed by the US, Qatar and Egypt are being sponsored in Doha. Israeli officials also offered cautious optimism that a phased cease fire, linked to gradual freeing of hostages and to orderly Israeli military pullouts, would be concluded within days.
US Deputy Special Envoy, Steven Witkoff noted that Israel and Hamas were narrowing differences on a 60 day ceasefire document. The plan would include 10 living and 18 dead hostage exchange, the wide access and humanitarian security agreement.
Still, there are still fundamental sticking points that are yet to be resolved: Israel wants the full dismantling of Hamas before agreeing to a ceasefire, Hamas wants the war to be over on a formal basis before agreeing to release hostages, and especially when it comes to post truce troops and levels of withdrawals.
The larger war has cost horrific human life an excess of 57,000 Palestinian civilians and approximately 1,200 Israelis have been killed since the attack of Hamas on 7 October 2023. This has intensified a humanitarian crisis in Gaza as hospitals are full and there is dire aid deficit.
The meeting of Trump and Netanyahu was seen as an indication of speeding up efforts to achieve a breakthrough and in the words of White House officials, they were hoping to achieve a deal during the week. The results will depend on whether the two sides will be able to compromise their requirements: the possibility to take hostages and long term occupation of security and providing humanitarian assistance. The tough stance of Netanyahu on the destruction of Hamas and a certain assertive approach of Trump can indeed determine the future of a precarious cease fire.
