White House upbeat about Gaza deal as Hamas signals impasse
US envoy Steve Witkoff said Israel and Hamas could agree to a 60-day truce and the release of 10 living hostages by the end of the week.
WASHINGTON — As the Trump administration voiced optimism that a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip was within reach, a senior Hamas official told Al-Monitor there had been no progress in the group’s indirect negotiations with Israel.
For the past three days, delegations from Hamas and Israel have met with mediators in Doha, Qatar, for “proximity talks” aimed at ending the 21-month war and freeing the remaining 50 hostages held by the Palestinian militant group, at least 20 of whom Israeli authorities believe could still be alive.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, President Donald Trump said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would discuss how to “solve” the Gaza war during their meeting later that day. Netanyahu is in Washington for his third such visit since Trump returned to office in January.
“We think we're going to have [Gaza] solved pretty soon, hopefully with a real solution — a solution that's going to be holding up,” Trump said during his Cabinet meeting with top officials.
