Netanyahu Meets Trump as Israel and Hamas Prepare for Ceasefire Talks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet President Donald Trump on Tuesday as Israel and Hamas prepare for negotiations on the next phase of their fragile Gaza ceasefire.

Netanyahu, the first foreign leader to visit the White House since Trump returned to power, will discuss the truce’s future and efforts to end the Gaza war. Under the Gaza ceasefire's ongoing 42-day first phase, Hamas is to free 33 hostages in staggered releases in exchange for around 1,900 Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

Four hostage-prisoner exchanges have already taken place, and militants have freed 18 hostages so far in exchange of some 600 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

The truce has also led to a surge of food, fuel, medical and other aid into rubble-strewn Gaza, as well as allowing displaced Gazans to return to the territory's north.

Hamas's attack resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people on Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Israel's retaliatory response has killed at least 47,518 people in Gaza, the majority civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The UN considers these figures as reliable.

Ahead of the meeting, Netanyahu’s office confirmed Israel will send a delegation to Doha later this week for negotiations. Hamas has also expressed readiness to discuss the next phase of the ceasefire, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S.

The next stage aims to secure the release of remaining hostages and outline steps toward ending the war, which began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Trump, who claims credit for brokering the ceasefire, is expected to press Netanyahu to uphold the deal and discuss a potential agreement with Saudi Arabia.

The truce has allowed humanitarian aid into Gaza and facilitated hostage prisoner exchanges. However, tensions remain high, with Israeli operations continuing in the West Bank. On Tuesday, Israeli forces killed a gunman near Jenin.