Trump claims Israel–Hamas ceasefire deal ‘very close,' says, ‘talks could happen this week'
He added, 'We have a chance this week or next week.'
Trump's remarks came after his second meeting in two days with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. The talks, held on Wednesday (July 9) were focused almost entirely on the conflict in Gaza and the remaining hostages still held by Hamas.
Following his meeting with Trump, Netanyahu said, 'We have still to finish the job in Gaza, release all our hostages, eliminate and destroy Hamas' military and governance capabilities… because Gaza must have different future for our sake, for everyone's sake.'
He added, 'These are all things that I discussed with President Trump. I may discuss further with him later in this visit.'
At the State Department, spokesperson Tammy Bruce said, 'We are hopeful that by the end of this week we'll have an agreement that brings us to a 60-day ceasefire.'
Steve Witkoff, Trump's Middle East special envoy, said only one major sticking point remained. 'We've gone from four issues down to one,' he noted, adding there is 'real hope for a deal by the end of the week.'
Israeli officials said Hamas continues to hold around 50 hostages in Gaza, with at least 20 believed to be alive.
Trump and Netanyahu discussed the urgency of the hostage issue, with Netanyahu stating, 'We're determined to achieve all of our objectives: The release of all of our hostages — the living and the deceased — and the elimination of Hamas's military and governing capabilities.'
At a White House dinner Monday (July 7), Trump said Hamas wanted a ceasefire and praised cooperation from countries in the region over the idea of relocating Palestinians from Gaza.
Asked about a two-state solution, Trump deferred to Netanyahu, saying, 'I don't know.' Netanyahu responded, 'I think Palestinians should have all of the power to govern themselves, but none of the power to threaten us.'
He added, 'The sovereign power of security always remains in our hands.'
The war in Gaza began with a Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023 that killed around 1,200 people and led to 251 hostages being taken.
Since then, over 57,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes, according to Gaza's health ministry. The United Nations estimates most of Gaza's 2 million residents have been displaced, and nearly half a million face starvation.
Hamas has repeatedly said it will not release remaining hostages without a permanent ceasefire. Israel has refused to end the war until all hostages are freed and Hamas is dismantled.
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