Middle East facing a ‘turning point' amid US-Israel meeting
'We are at a turning point for the Middle East, things could get worse, it is the Middle East – everybody sort of expects things to get worse,' Mr Mulvaney told Sky News Australia.
'For the first time since maybe 1979, there is a change here, sort of stability in the Middle East.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
3 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese snubs Jewish Australian community's antisemitism plan after synagogue attack
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has dismissed calls from the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Australian Jewish community to revisit plans to combat antisemitism. It comes after a scourge of antisemitic attacks since October 7, 2023, including the recent attempted arson attack at a synagogue. Despite this, Mr Albanese turned away from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry's (ECAJ) proposal to 'defeat antisemitism' on Tuesday. Asked at a press conference whether he would adopt the 15-point plan put forward by ECAJ, Mr Albanese sidestepped the proposal. 'What we're doing is working with the special envoy on antisemitism and we'll have more to say about that in coming days,' Mr Albanese told reporters. 'I appointed a special envoy – that was something that came from the community, that request. Jillian Segal has been doing a terrific job. 'We've responded substantially with increased security for synagogues, for Jewish schools, for community organisations.' He defended the government's record and said he 'engaged constructively with the community'. 'Antisemitism is a scourge. It has no place in Australia. And what we saw in Melbourne with the attacks that occurred are reprehensible,' Mr Albanese said. 'We will respond to any request constructively – that is what we have done.' ECAJ co-CEO Alex Ryvchin presented his 15-point plan to defeat antisemitism to Mr Albanese in February, 2025, after the Sky News Antisemitism Summit. Pressed on whether he would consider the request, including merging police task forces to coordinate a stronger response, Mr Albanese dismissed the idea. 'We have a task force, and what we do is take on security issues, we take advice from security agencies. That's precisely what we have done,' he said. He also dismissed calls to convene National Cabinet over the issue, saying, 'Let's be clear – what people want is not a meeting, they want action'. Earlier this year, Mr Albanese also said people didn't want 'more meetings, they want more action', before he convened a National Cabinet meeting on antisemitism. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been urging the Albanese government to do more to address antisemitism in Australia. 'I view with utmost gravity the antisemitic attacks that occurred last night in Melbourne,' Mr Netanyahu said in a statement released on the weekend. 'The reprehensible antisemitic attacks, with calls of 'Death to the IDF' and an attempt to attack a place of worship, are severe hate crimes that must be uprooted. 'We demand that the Australian government take all action to deal with the rioters to the fullest extent of the law and prevent similar attacks in the future.' Asked if he had a response to the Israeli Prime Minister's comments, Mr Albanese said, "No, that's a matter for him". Opposition Leader Sussan Ley criticised Mr Albanese's response to the ECAJ proposal on Tuesday, declaring she would fully adopt the 15-point plan if elected. 'We commit, and we do so wholeheartedly, with the Executive Council of Australian Jewry's 15-point plan to combat antisemitism,' Ms Ley said. 'I want to know what Anthony Albanese is doing to protect Jewish Australians. I want to know what the government plans (to do) because… words are not enough.' About 20 people, including children, were inside the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation on Friday when a man allegedly attempted to set the building on fire. Victoria Police has since arrested a 34-year-old NSW man, and the investigation is ongoing. Mr Ryvchin described the attack as a 'severe escalation' in threats facing the community. 'We urge all sides of politics and all Australians to condemn these deplorable crimes,' he said on Sunday. 'Those responsible cannot be reasoned with or appeased. They must be confronted with the full force of the law.' The attack follows a wave of antisemitic incidents in Australia over the past months, including nazi vandalism, death threats, and arson attacks.
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Trump confirms weapon shipments to help Ukraine defence
President Donald Trump says the United States would be sending more weapons to Ukraine to help the war-torn country defend itself against Russian attacks. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said Ukraine was getting hit very hard by Russia and needed to be able to defend itself. The United States would be sending primarily defensive weapons, he said. Trump on Friday told reporters Ukraine would need Patriot missiles to defend itself, but did not mention them again specifically on Monday. "We're going to send some more weapons. We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard, now. They're getting hit very hard. We're going to have to send more weapons, defensive weapons, primarily," he said at the start of a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. After a call with Trump on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had agreed to work on increasing Kyiv's capability to "defend the sky" as Russian attacks escalated. He said he discussed joint defence production, purchases and investments with Trump. Ukraine has been asking Washington to sell it more Patriot missiles and systems that it sees as key to defending its cities from intensifying Russian air strikes. A decision by Washington to halt some shipments of weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv the move would weaken its ability to defend against Russia's air strikes and battlefield advances. Germany said it is in talks on buying Patriot air defence systems for Ukraine to bridge the gap. The US president's comments come after Russia struck two military recruitment centres in separate drone attacks, doubling down on a new campaign of strikes that Kyiv says is aimed at disrupting military recruitment. Monday's attacks damaged draft offices in the regional capitals of Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia and came a day after a Russian drone struck a recruitment centre in the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk. Last week, Russian attacks targeted draft offices in Poltava, another regional capital, as well as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih. Both strikes on Monday took place in densely populated areas, wounding dozens of civilians and damaging homes and apartment buildings. In Kharkiv, rescue workers sifted through debris as stunned residents recovered. "This is the tactic our enemy has chosen," Mayor Ihor Terekhov told reporters in front of a badly charred building. In its daily briefing on Monday, Russia's defence ministry confirmed it had struck an unspecified number of draft offices. The string of attacks has prompted recruitment centres to disperse some personnel and temporarily suspend work at the locations damaged, ground forces spokesperson Vitaliy Sarantsev told Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne. However, he added that recruitment was still on track. Ukraine's resource-strapped military has struggled to fend off a bigger and better-equipped Russian army on the battlefield, where Moscow has made gradual advances across parts of the east in a grinding summer campaign. Enthusiasm for joining up in Ukraine has also been dampened by reports of corruption, as well as poor training and command. Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council warned on Monday that Russia was also waging an "information campaign" by spreading a bot on messaging platform Telegram that purports to collect information about the location of draft offices. "This ... indicates a coordinated attempt by Russia to destabilise the mobilisation process and sow panic among the population," the Centre for Countering Disinformation said in a statement. The recent strikes also follow a string of bombings at recruitment centres and arson attacks on military vehicles earlier this year, which Ukraine's domestic security service has said is Russian sabotage. President Donald Trump says the United States would be sending more weapons to Ukraine to help the war-torn country defend itself against Russian attacks. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said Ukraine was getting hit very hard by Russia and needed to be able to defend itself. The United States would be sending primarily defensive weapons, he said. Trump on Friday told reporters Ukraine would need Patriot missiles to defend itself, but did not mention them again specifically on Monday. "We're going to send some more weapons. We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard, now. They're getting hit very hard. We're going to have to send more weapons, defensive weapons, primarily," he said at the start of a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. After a call with Trump on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had agreed to work on increasing Kyiv's capability to "defend the sky" as Russian attacks escalated. He said he discussed joint defence production, purchases and investments with Trump. Ukraine has been asking Washington to sell it more Patriot missiles and systems that it sees as key to defending its cities from intensifying Russian air strikes. A decision by Washington to halt some shipments of weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv the move would weaken its ability to defend against Russia's air strikes and battlefield advances. Germany said it is in talks on buying Patriot air defence systems for Ukraine to bridge the gap. The US president's comments come after Russia struck two military recruitment centres in separate drone attacks, doubling down on a new campaign of strikes that Kyiv says is aimed at disrupting military recruitment. Monday's attacks damaged draft offices in the regional capitals of Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia and came a day after a Russian drone struck a recruitment centre in the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk. Last week, Russian attacks targeted draft offices in Poltava, another regional capital, as well as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih. Both strikes on Monday took place in densely populated areas, wounding dozens of civilians and damaging homes and apartment buildings. In Kharkiv, rescue workers sifted through debris as stunned residents recovered. "This is the tactic our enemy has chosen," Mayor Ihor Terekhov told reporters in front of a badly charred building. In its daily briefing on Monday, Russia's defence ministry confirmed it had struck an unspecified number of draft offices. The string of attacks has prompted recruitment centres to disperse some personnel and temporarily suspend work at the locations damaged, ground forces spokesperson Vitaliy Sarantsev told Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne. However, he added that recruitment was still on track. Ukraine's resource-strapped military has struggled to fend off a bigger and better-equipped Russian army on the battlefield, where Moscow has made gradual advances across parts of the east in a grinding summer campaign. Enthusiasm for joining up in Ukraine has also been dampened by reports of corruption, as well as poor training and command. Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council warned on Monday that Russia was also waging an "information campaign" by spreading a bot on messaging platform Telegram that purports to collect information about the location of draft offices. "This ... indicates a coordinated attempt by Russia to destabilise the mobilisation process and sow panic among the population," the Centre for Countering Disinformation said in a statement. The recent strikes also follow a string of bombings at recruitment centres and arson attacks on military vehicles earlier this year, which Ukraine's domestic security service has said is Russian sabotage. President Donald Trump says the United States would be sending more weapons to Ukraine to help the war-torn country defend itself against Russian attacks. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said Ukraine was getting hit very hard by Russia and needed to be able to defend itself. The United States would be sending primarily defensive weapons, he said. Trump on Friday told reporters Ukraine would need Patriot missiles to defend itself, but did not mention them again specifically on Monday. "We're going to send some more weapons. We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard, now. They're getting hit very hard. We're going to have to send more weapons, defensive weapons, primarily," he said at the start of a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. After a call with Trump on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had agreed to work on increasing Kyiv's capability to "defend the sky" as Russian attacks escalated. He said he discussed joint defence production, purchases and investments with Trump. Ukraine has been asking Washington to sell it more Patriot missiles and systems that it sees as key to defending its cities from intensifying Russian air strikes. A decision by Washington to halt some shipments of weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv the move would weaken its ability to defend against Russia's air strikes and battlefield advances. Germany said it is in talks on buying Patriot air defence systems for Ukraine to bridge the gap. The US president's comments come after Russia struck two military recruitment centres in separate drone attacks, doubling down on a new campaign of strikes that Kyiv says is aimed at disrupting military recruitment. Monday's attacks damaged draft offices in the regional capitals of Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia and came a day after a Russian drone struck a recruitment centre in the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk. Last week, Russian attacks targeted draft offices in Poltava, another regional capital, as well as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih. Both strikes on Monday took place in densely populated areas, wounding dozens of civilians and damaging homes and apartment buildings. In Kharkiv, rescue workers sifted through debris as stunned residents recovered. "This is the tactic our enemy has chosen," Mayor Ihor Terekhov told reporters in front of a badly charred building. In its daily briefing on Monday, Russia's defence ministry confirmed it had struck an unspecified number of draft offices. The string of attacks has prompted recruitment centres to disperse some personnel and temporarily suspend work at the locations damaged, ground forces spokesperson Vitaliy Sarantsev told Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne. However, he added that recruitment was still on track. Ukraine's resource-strapped military has struggled to fend off a bigger and better-equipped Russian army on the battlefield, where Moscow has made gradual advances across parts of the east in a grinding summer campaign. Enthusiasm for joining up in Ukraine has also been dampened by reports of corruption, as well as poor training and command. Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council warned on Monday that Russia was also waging an "information campaign" by spreading a bot on messaging platform Telegram that purports to collect information about the location of draft offices. "This ... indicates a coordinated attempt by Russia to destabilise the mobilisation process and sow panic among the population," the Centre for Countering Disinformation said in a statement. The recent strikes also follow a string of bombings at recruitment centres and arson attacks on military vehicles earlier this year, which Ukraine's domestic security service has said is Russian sabotage. President Donald Trump says the United States would be sending more weapons to Ukraine to help the war-torn country defend itself against Russian attacks. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said Ukraine was getting hit very hard by Russia and needed to be able to defend itself. The United States would be sending primarily defensive weapons, he said. Trump on Friday told reporters Ukraine would need Patriot missiles to defend itself, but did not mention them again specifically on Monday. "We're going to send some more weapons. We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard, now. They're getting hit very hard. We're going to have to send more weapons, defensive weapons, primarily," he said at the start of a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. After a call with Trump on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had agreed to work on increasing Kyiv's capability to "defend the sky" as Russian attacks escalated. He said he discussed joint defence production, purchases and investments with Trump. Ukraine has been asking Washington to sell it more Patriot missiles and systems that it sees as key to defending its cities from intensifying Russian air strikes. A decision by Washington to halt some shipments of weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv the move would weaken its ability to defend against Russia's air strikes and battlefield advances. Germany said it is in talks on buying Patriot air defence systems for Ukraine to bridge the gap. The US president's comments come after Russia struck two military recruitment centres in separate drone attacks, doubling down on a new campaign of strikes that Kyiv says is aimed at disrupting military recruitment. Monday's attacks damaged draft offices in the regional capitals of Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia and came a day after a Russian drone struck a recruitment centre in the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk. Last week, Russian attacks targeted draft offices in Poltava, another regional capital, as well as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih. Both strikes on Monday took place in densely populated areas, wounding dozens of civilians and damaging homes and apartment buildings. In Kharkiv, rescue workers sifted through debris as stunned residents recovered. "This is the tactic our enemy has chosen," Mayor Ihor Terekhov told reporters in front of a badly charred building. In its daily briefing on Monday, Russia's defence ministry confirmed it had struck an unspecified number of draft offices. The string of attacks has prompted recruitment centres to disperse some personnel and temporarily suspend work at the locations damaged, ground forces spokesperson Vitaliy Sarantsev told Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne. However, he added that recruitment was still on track. Ukraine's resource-strapped military has struggled to fend off a bigger and better-equipped Russian army on the battlefield, where Moscow has made gradual advances across parts of the east in a grinding summer campaign. Enthusiasm for joining up in Ukraine has also been dampened by reports of corruption, as well as poor training and command. Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council warned on Monday that Russia was also waging an "information campaign" by spreading a bot on messaging platform Telegram that purports to collect information about the location of draft offices. "This ... indicates a coordinated attempt by Russia to destabilise the mobilisation process and sow panic among the population," the Centre for Countering Disinformation said in a statement. The recent strikes also follow a string of bombings at recruitment centres and arson attacks on military vehicles earlier this year, which Ukraine's domestic security service has said is Russian sabotage.
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Netanyahu meets Trump as Israel, Hamas talk ceasefire
US President Donald Trump, who has hosted Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, said the United States had scheduled talks with Iran and had seen good co-operation with Israel's neighbours on helping Palestinians. Speaking to reporters at the beginning of a dinner between US and Israeli officials on Monday, Netanyahu said the US and Israel were working with other countries who would give Palestinians a "better future", suggesting residents of Gaza could move to neighbouring nations. "If people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave," Netanyahu said. "We're working with the United States very closely about finding countries that will seek to realise what they always say, that they wanted to give the Palestinians a better future. I think we're getting close to finding several countries." Trump and Netanyahu met in Washington while Israeli officials held indirect negotiations with Hamas aimed at securing a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal. Netanyahu's visit follows Trump's prediction, on the eve of their meeting, that such an agreement could be reached this week. Before heading to Washington, the right-wing Israeli leader said his discussions with Trump could help advance negotiations under way in Qatar between Israel and the Palestinian militant group. It was Trump's third face-to-face encounter with Netanyahu since returning to office in January, and came just over two weeks after the president ordered the bombing of Iranian nuclear sites in support of Israeli air strikes. Trump then helped arrange a ceasefire in the 12-day Israel-Iran war. Trump said his administration would be meeting with Iran. Special envoy Steve Witkoff said the meeting would take place in the next week or so. Trump said he would like to lift sanctions on Iran at some point. Trump and his aides appeared to be trying to seize on any momentum created by the weakening of Iran, which backs Hamas, to push both sides for a breakthrough in the 21-month Gaza war. He has said he also wanted to discuss with Netanyahu the prospects for a "permanent deal" with Iran, Israel's regional arch-foe. The two leaders, with their top advisers, held a private dinner in the White House Blue Room, instead of more traditional talks in the Oval Office, where the president usually greets visiting dignitaries. After arriving overnight in Washington, Netanyahu met earlier on Monday with Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in preparation for his talks with the president. He planned to visit the US Capitol on Tuesday to see congressional leaders. During their meeting, Netanyahu gave Trump a letter that he said he had used to nominate the US president for the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump appeared pleased by the gesture. Ahead of their visit, Netanyahu told reporters Israeli negotiators were driving for a deal on Gaza in Doha, Qatar's capital. Israeli officials also hope the outcome of the conflict with Iran will pave the way for normalisation of relations with more of its neighbours such as Lebanon, Syria and Saudi Arabia, another issue expected to be on the agenda with Trump. The Gaza war erupted when Hamas attacked southern Israel in October 2023, killing around 1200 people and taking 251 hostages. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with 20 believed to be alive. Israel's retaliatory war in Gaza has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to the enclave's health ministry. Most of Gaza's population has been displaced by the war and nearly half a million people are facing famine within months, according to United Nations estimates. Trump has been strongly supportive of Netanyahu, even wading into domestic Israeli politics in June by lashing out at prosecutors over a corruption trial against the Israeli leader on bribery, fraud and breach-of-trust charges that Netanyahu denies. US President Donald Trump, who has hosted Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, said the United States had scheduled talks with Iran and had seen good co-operation with Israel's neighbours on helping Palestinians. Speaking to reporters at the beginning of a dinner between US and Israeli officials on Monday, Netanyahu said the US and Israel were working with other countries who would give Palestinians a "better future", suggesting residents of Gaza could move to neighbouring nations. "If people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave," Netanyahu said. "We're working with the United States very closely about finding countries that will seek to realise what they always say, that they wanted to give the Palestinians a better future. I think we're getting close to finding several countries." Trump and Netanyahu met in Washington while Israeli officials held indirect negotiations with Hamas aimed at securing a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal. Netanyahu's visit follows Trump's prediction, on the eve of their meeting, that such an agreement could be reached this week. Before heading to Washington, the right-wing Israeli leader said his discussions with Trump could help advance negotiations under way in Qatar between Israel and the Palestinian militant group. It was Trump's third face-to-face encounter with Netanyahu since returning to office in January, and came just over two weeks after the president ordered the bombing of Iranian nuclear sites in support of Israeli air strikes. Trump then helped arrange a ceasefire in the 12-day Israel-Iran war. Trump said his administration would be meeting with Iran. Special envoy Steve Witkoff said the meeting would take place in the next week or so. Trump said he would like to lift sanctions on Iran at some point. Trump and his aides appeared to be trying to seize on any momentum created by the weakening of Iran, which backs Hamas, to push both sides for a breakthrough in the 21-month Gaza war. He has said he also wanted to discuss with Netanyahu the prospects for a "permanent deal" with Iran, Israel's regional arch-foe. The two leaders, with their top advisers, held a private dinner in the White House Blue Room, instead of more traditional talks in the Oval Office, where the president usually greets visiting dignitaries. After arriving overnight in Washington, Netanyahu met earlier on Monday with Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in preparation for his talks with the president. He planned to visit the US Capitol on Tuesday to see congressional leaders. During their meeting, Netanyahu gave Trump a letter that he said he had used to nominate the US president for the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump appeared pleased by the gesture. Ahead of their visit, Netanyahu told reporters Israeli negotiators were driving for a deal on Gaza in Doha, Qatar's capital. Israeli officials also hope the outcome of the conflict with Iran will pave the way for normalisation of relations with more of its neighbours such as Lebanon, Syria and Saudi Arabia, another issue expected to be on the agenda with Trump. The Gaza war erupted when Hamas attacked southern Israel in October 2023, killing around 1200 people and taking 251 hostages. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with 20 believed to be alive. Israel's retaliatory war in Gaza has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to the enclave's health ministry. Most of Gaza's population has been displaced by the war and nearly half a million people are facing famine within months, according to United Nations estimates. Trump has been strongly supportive of Netanyahu, even wading into domestic Israeli politics in June by lashing out at prosecutors over a corruption trial against the Israeli leader on bribery, fraud and breach-of-trust charges that Netanyahu denies. US President Donald Trump, who has hosted Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, said the United States had scheduled talks with Iran and had seen good co-operation with Israel's neighbours on helping Palestinians. Speaking to reporters at the beginning of a dinner between US and Israeli officials on Monday, Netanyahu said the US and Israel were working with other countries who would give Palestinians a "better future", suggesting residents of Gaza could move to neighbouring nations. "If people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave," Netanyahu said. "We're working with the United States very closely about finding countries that will seek to realise what they always say, that they wanted to give the Palestinians a better future. I think we're getting close to finding several countries." Trump and Netanyahu met in Washington while Israeli officials held indirect negotiations with Hamas aimed at securing a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal. Netanyahu's visit follows Trump's prediction, on the eve of their meeting, that such an agreement could be reached this week. Before heading to Washington, the right-wing Israeli leader said his discussions with Trump could help advance negotiations under way in Qatar between Israel and the Palestinian militant group. It was Trump's third face-to-face encounter with Netanyahu since returning to office in January, and came just over two weeks after the president ordered the bombing of Iranian nuclear sites in support of Israeli air strikes. Trump then helped arrange a ceasefire in the 12-day Israel-Iran war. Trump said his administration would be meeting with Iran. Special envoy Steve Witkoff said the meeting would take place in the next week or so. Trump said he would like to lift sanctions on Iran at some point. Trump and his aides appeared to be trying to seize on any momentum created by the weakening of Iran, which backs Hamas, to push both sides for a breakthrough in the 21-month Gaza war. He has said he also wanted to discuss with Netanyahu the prospects for a "permanent deal" with Iran, Israel's regional arch-foe. The two leaders, with their top advisers, held a private dinner in the White House Blue Room, instead of more traditional talks in the Oval Office, where the president usually greets visiting dignitaries. After arriving overnight in Washington, Netanyahu met earlier on Monday with Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in preparation for his talks with the president. He planned to visit the US Capitol on Tuesday to see congressional leaders. During their meeting, Netanyahu gave Trump a letter that he said he had used to nominate the US president for the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump appeared pleased by the gesture. Ahead of their visit, Netanyahu told reporters Israeli negotiators were driving for a deal on Gaza in Doha, Qatar's capital. Israeli officials also hope the outcome of the conflict with Iran will pave the way for normalisation of relations with more of its neighbours such as Lebanon, Syria and Saudi Arabia, another issue expected to be on the agenda with Trump. The Gaza war erupted when Hamas attacked southern Israel in October 2023, killing around 1200 people and taking 251 hostages. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with 20 believed to be alive. Israel's retaliatory war in Gaza has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to the enclave's health ministry. Most of Gaza's population has been displaced by the war and nearly half a million people are facing famine within months, according to United Nations estimates. Trump has been strongly supportive of Netanyahu, even wading into domestic Israeli politics in June by lashing out at prosecutors over a corruption trial against the Israeli leader on bribery, fraud and breach-of-trust charges that Netanyahu denies. US President Donald Trump, who has hosted Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, said the United States had scheduled talks with Iran and had seen good co-operation with Israel's neighbours on helping Palestinians. Speaking to reporters at the beginning of a dinner between US and Israeli officials on Monday, Netanyahu said the US and Israel were working with other countries who would give Palestinians a "better future", suggesting residents of Gaza could move to neighbouring nations. "If people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave," Netanyahu said. "We're working with the United States very closely about finding countries that will seek to realise what they always say, that they wanted to give the Palestinians a better future. I think we're getting close to finding several countries." Trump and Netanyahu met in Washington while Israeli officials held indirect negotiations with Hamas aimed at securing a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal. Netanyahu's visit follows Trump's prediction, on the eve of their meeting, that such an agreement could be reached this week. Before heading to Washington, the right-wing Israeli leader said his discussions with Trump could help advance negotiations under way in Qatar between Israel and the Palestinian militant group. It was Trump's third face-to-face encounter with Netanyahu since returning to office in January, and came just over two weeks after the president ordered the bombing of Iranian nuclear sites in support of Israeli air strikes. Trump then helped arrange a ceasefire in the 12-day Israel-Iran war. Trump said his administration would be meeting with Iran. Special envoy Steve Witkoff said the meeting would take place in the next week or so. Trump said he would like to lift sanctions on Iran at some point. Trump and his aides appeared to be trying to seize on any momentum created by the weakening of Iran, which backs Hamas, to push both sides for a breakthrough in the 21-month Gaza war. He has said he also wanted to discuss with Netanyahu the prospects for a "permanent deal" with Iran, Israel's regional arch-foe. The two leaders, with their top advisers, held a private dinner in the White House Blue Room, instead of more traditional talks in the Oval Office, where the president usually greets visiting dignitaries. After arriving overnight in Washington, Netanyahu met earlier on Monday with Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in preparation for his talks with the president. He planned to visit the US Capitol on Tuesday to see congressional leaders. During their meeting, Netanyahu gave Trump a letter that he said he had used to nominate the US president for the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump appeared pleased by the gesture. Ahead of their visit, Netanyahu told reporters Israeli negotiators were driving for a deal on Gaza in Doha, Qatar's capital. Israeli officials also hope the outcome of the conflict with Iran will pave the way for normalisation of relations with more of its neighbours such as Lebanon, Syria and Saudi Arabia, another issue expected to be on the agenda with Trump. The Gaza war erupted when Hamas attacked southern Israel in October 2023, killing around 1200 people and taking 251 hostages. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with 20 believed to be alive. Israel's retaliatory war in Gaza has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to the enclave's health ministry. Most of Gaza's population has been displaced by the war and nearly half a million people are facing famine within months, according to United Nations estimates. Trump has been strongly supportive of Netanyahu, even wading into domestic Israeli politics in June by lashing out at prosecutors over a corruption trial against the Israeli leader on bribery, fraud and breach-of-trust charges that Netanyahu denies.
