Washington: In a bid to end the devastating war in Gaza, U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday. The meeting came as indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group Hamas continued for a second day in Doha, Qatar, reported the Hindu.
This marks Netanyahu’s third visit to Washington since Trump’s return to office. The U.S. President, under increasing international pressure to stop the bloodshed in Gaza, is aiming to build on the recent diplomatic thaw between Israel and Iran to bring about a broader peace in the region.
“I don’t think there is a hold-up. I think things are going along very well,” Trump told reporters optimistically, expressing his belief that Hamas is ready to engage constructively. “They want to meet, and they want to have that ceasefire,” he said.
The White House meeting included several top U.S. and Israeli officials. Trump used the occasion to call for an immediate halt to Israel’s military operations in Gaza, while reaffirming that the U.S. is committed to securing the release of all hostages and alleviating the suffering of civilians.
In a move seen by many as a political stunt, Netanyahu presented Trump with a letter nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize. He hailed Trump’s role in pursuing regional agreements but remained dismissive of Palestinian rights and aspirations. Netanyahu once again ruled out the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state and said Israel would maintain permanent military control over the Gaza Strip. “People will say it’s not a complete state, it’s not a state. We don’t care,” he said, drawing sharp criticism from human rights activists.
Outside the White House, pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered to protest Netanyahu’s presence, accusing him of genocide and condemning the ongoing siege of Gaza.
While Trump has historically backed Israel, he now appears increasingly eager to end what he described as the “hell” in Gaza. “There is a good chance of an agreement this coming week,” he said on Sunday.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the president’s top priority in the Middle East is to bring the war in Gaza to an end and facilitate the return of all hostages. She said Trump has called on Hamas to accept a U.S.-mediated ceasefire proposal, after Israel signaled its willingness to proceed.
The proposed deal includes a 60-day ceasefire during which Hamas would release 10 living Israeli hostages and return the remains of others, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians—many of them women and minors—unjustly detained by Israel without trial.
According to Palestinian sources, Hamas is also demanding concrete guarantees to prevent further Israeli aggression during the negotiation period, as well as a full withdrawal of Israeli forces and the restoration of the UN-led humanitarian aid system in Gaza.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to join the Doha talks later this week in an effort to help finalize the agreement.
However, Monday’s session ended without any breakthrough. Talks are expected to resume later this week.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepened further. According to the Gaza Civil Defense agency, Israeli forces killed at least 12 civilians on Monday, including six people inside a medical clinic housing displaced families. Such incidents have become tragically routine under Israel’s indiscriminate military campaign.
The war, now entering its 22nd month, was sparked by a Hamas-led operation in October 2023 that targeted Israeli military sites and resulted in casualties on both sides. Since then, Israel’s relentless assault has claimed the lives of over 57,523 Palestinians, the majority of them women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The United Nations has deemed these figures credible.
Of the 251 individuals captured by Palestinian fighters during the 2023 operation, Israel acknowledges that 49 remain in Gaza, with 27 confirmed dead by its own military.
Gaza, home to over two million people, continues to face immense suffering due to the siege, bombings, and lack of basic necessities. Human rights organizations and the international community have repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire and justice for the Palestinian people.
