United States President Donald Trump has met Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the White Home for a second time in 24 hours to debate a attainable ceasefire deal in Gaza.
The unscheduled talks on Tuesday night lasted simply over an hour with no press entry.
Talking forward of the assembly, Trump mentioned he can be talking with Netanyahu “nearly solely” about Gaza.
“We gotta get that solved. Gaza is a- it’s a tragedy, and he desires to get it solved, and I wish to get it solved, and I believe the opposite facet desires to,” he mentioned.
The 2 males had additionally met for a number of hours throughout a dinner on the White Home on Monday throughout Netanyahu’s third go to to the US for the reason that president started his second time period on January 20.
Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna, reporting from Washington, DC, mentioned the most recent assembly was “tightly sealed with little or no data popping out”.
“The truth that it was so hermetically sealed, the truth that there was no clear readout of precisely what was mentioned, the truth that the assembly lasted simply over an hour earlier than the prime minister returned to his residence – all of it could point out that there’s some type of stumbling block, one thing that’s clouding the optimistic place that the 2 leaders have adopted over the previous 24 hours,” Hanna mentioned.
Shortly earlier than the unscheduled assembly, Trump’s particular envoy to the Center East, Steve Witkoff, mentioned the problems protecting Israel and Hamas from agreeing had dropped to at least one from 4 and he hoped to succeed in a short lived ceasefire settlement this week.
“We’re hopeful that by the tip of this week, we’ll have an settlement that can convey us right into a 60-day ceasefire. Ten dwell hostages will likely be launched. 9 deceased will likely be launched,” Witkoff informed reporters at a gathering of Trump’s Cupboard.
However Netanyahu, assembly with the Speaker of the Republican-controlled Home of Representatives, Mike Johnson, mentioned Israel’s marketing campaign within the Palestinian enclave was not executed and that negotiators are “actually working” on a ceasefire.
“We’ve nonetheless to complete the job in Gaza, launch all our hostages, eradicate and destroy Hamas’ army and authorities capabilities,” the Israeli chief mentioned.
Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh, reporting from Jordan, mentioned Israeli media are reporting that Netanyahu is dealing with “excessive strain” to succeed in a deal on Gaza.
“However nonetheless, there’s been no breakthrough,” she mentioned from the Jordanian capital, Amman.
“Israeli media can also be speaking a few delay within the journey plans of Witkoff to Doha, though earlier within the night time, he had sounded very optimistic about probably reaching a deal. As a result of in keeping with him, just one problem remained problematic – which is the place will the Israeli military redeploy to,” Odeh mentioned.
“Now, that is essential, as a result of Israel desires to keep up management over town of Rafah in southern Gaza. In line with the Israeli minister of defence Israel plans to construct a tent metropolis in Rafah, the place it’ll focus the inhabitants, management who enters, not permit anybody to go away, after which push the inhabitants out of Gaza to implement, in keeping with the Israelis, the Trump plan of depopulating Gaza and taking up the enclave,” she added.
Israel’s battle in Gaza has killed no less than 57,575 Palestinians and wounded 136,879 others. Most of Gaza’s inhabitants has been displaced by the battle and practically half one million persons are dealing with famine inside months, in keeping with United Nations estimates.
An estimated 1,139 individuals had been killed in Israel in the course of the Hamas-led assaults of October 7, 2023, and greater than 200 had been taken captive.
Some 50 captives stay in Gaza, with 20 believed to be alive.
Trump had strongly supported Netanyahu, even wading into home Israeli politics by criticizing prosecutors over a corruption trial towards the Israeli chief on bribery, fraud and breach-of-trust costs that Netanyahu denies.
In his remarks to reporters on the US Congress, Netanyahu praised Trump, saying there has by no means been nearer coordination between the US and Israel in his nation’s historical past.