Israel, Gaza ceasefire: Benjamin Netanyahu says he believes US President Donald Trump can help seal truce

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he hopes an upcoming discussion with US President Donald Trump could “help advance” a Gaza ceasefire deal, as he headed for Washington after sending negotiators to Qatar for indirect talks with Hamas.

Facing growing pressure to bring an end to the nearly 22-month-long war, the Israeli Prime Minister is set to meet with Mr Trump on Monday (local time).

While boarding his flight to Washington, Mr Netanyahu told reporters that Israeli negotiators in Doha were under clear instructions to achieve an agreement under conditions that Israel has accepted.

“I believe the discussion with President Trump can certainly help advance these results,” he said, adding that he was determined to ensure the return of hostages held in the Gaza Strip.

“There are 20 hostages that are alive, 30 dead. I am determined, we are determined, to bring them all back. And we will also be determined to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel,” Mr Netanyahu said.

It will be Mr Netanyahu’s third visit to the White House since Mr Trump returned to power nearly six months ago.

Public pressure is mounting on Netanyahu to secure a permanent ceasefire and end the war, a move opposed by some hardline members of his religious-nationalist coalition.

Others including Foreign Minister Gideon Saar have expressed support.

A person familiar with the negotiations shared with the Associated Press a copy of the latest ceasefire proposal submitted by mediators to Hamas, and its veracity was confirmed by two other people familiar with the document.

The document outlines plans for a 60-day ceasefire during which Hamas would hand over 10 living and 18 dead hostages, Israeli forces would withdraw to a buffer zone along the Gaza Strip’s borders with Israel and Egypt, and significant amounts of aid would be brought in.

The document says the aid would be distributed by United Nations agencies and the Palestinian Red Crescent.

It does not specify what would happen to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the US organisation that has distributed food aid since May.

As in previous ceasefire agreements, Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli facilities would be released in exchange for the hostages but the number is not yet agreed upon.

The proposal stops short of guaranteeing a permanent end to the war - a condition demanded by Hamas - but says negotiations for a permanent ceasefire would take place during the 60 days.

During that time, “President Trump guarantees Israel’s adherence” to halting military operations, the document says, adding that Trump “will personally announce the ceasefire agreement”.

The personal guarantee by Trump appeared to be an attempt to reassure Hamas that Israel would not unilaterally resume fighting as it did in March during a previous ceasefire, when talks to extend it appeared to stall.

Hamas said on Friday it had responded to a US-backed Gaza Strip ceasefire proposal in a “positive spirit,” a few days after Mr Trump said Israel had agreed “to the necessary conditions to finalise” a 60-day truce.

Mr Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that changes sought by Hamas to the ceasefire proposal were “not acceptable to Israel”.

However, his office said the delegation would still fly to Qatar to “continue efforts to secure the return of our hostages based on the Qatari proposal that Israel agreed to”.

Mr Netanyahu has repeatedly said Hamas must be disarmed, a demand the militant group has so far refused to discuss.

Mr Netanyahu said he believed he and Mr Trump would also build on the outcome of the 12-day air war with Iran last month and seek to further ensure that Iranian authorities never have a nuclear weapon.

He said recent Middle East developments had created an opportunity to widen the circle of peace.

On Saturday evening, crowds gathered at a public square in Tel Aviv near the defence ministry headquarters to call for a ceasefire deal and the return of about 50 hostages still held in the Gaza Strip.

The demonstrators waved Israeli flags, chanted and carried posters with photos of the hostages.

The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on October 7, 2023 when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing about 1200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Gaza’s health ministry says Israel’s retaliatory military assault on the enclave has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians.

- with AP, Reuters