Netanyahu: Meeting with Trump Could Help Ceasefire and Hostage Deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Sunday (06/07/2025), before departing for Washington, that his upcoming meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump could ‘contribute’ to a ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages in Gaza. ‘We are acting to achieve this agreement under the terms we have accepted. I have sent a negotiating team with clear instructions. I believe that the meeting with President Donald Trump can certainly help advance this outcome we all hope for,’ Netanyahu told reporters at Ben Gurion Airport. This marks Netanyahu’s third visit to the White House since Trump’s return to office nearly six months ago. Public pressure is mounting in Israel for a ceasefire and an end to the war in Gaza. However, Netanyahu faces opposition from far-right members of his government—the most right-leaning administration Israel has ever had—who seek to continue the military campaign. Although Hamas has expressed a ‘positive spirit’ toward the U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal, the Palestinian side maintains objections regarding humanitarian aid distribution, access through the Rafah crossing in southern Gaza, and the timetable for Israeli troop withdrawal. Netanyahu’s office has rejected Hamas’ requested changes as unacceptable. Ahead of the Trump-Netanyahu meeting, the Israeli government emphasized that it nevertheless dispatched a delegation to Doha ‘to continue efforts to secure the return of our hostages based on the Qatari proposal that Israel agreed upon.’ However, the delegation consists of low-ranking officials without the authority to conduct serious negotiations or make binding decisions.