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Gaza ceasefire possible in a week or two, not in a day: Israeli official
Speaking during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington, the official said that if the two sides agree to a proposed 60-day ceasefire, Israel would use that time to offer a permanent ceasefire that would require the Palestinian militant group to disarm.
If Hamas refuses, "we'll proceed" with military operations in Gaza, the official said on condition of anonymity.
Trump had previously predicted that a deal could be reached this week, raising speculation about a possible announcement before Netanyahu leaves for Israel on Thursday.
On Wednesday, however, Trump appeared to extend the timeframe somewhat, telling reporters that while an agreement was "very close," it could happen this week or even next - though "not definitely."
A source familiar with Hamas' thinking said four days of indirect talks with Israel in Qatar did not produce any breakthroughs on main sticking points.
The Israeli official, who briefed reporters in Washington, declined to provide details on the negotiations.
Trump's Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff told reporters at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that the anticipated agreement would involve the release of 10 living and nine deceased hostages.
Netanyahu's visit 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.
The Gaza conflict began with a Hamas attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that killed approximately 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken, according to Israeli figures. Around 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with 20 believed to be alive.
Israel's retaliatory war has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, Gaza's health ministry says, and reduced much of Gaza to rubble.
Netanyahu has used his US visit to publicly thank Trump for joining with Israel in striking Iran.
Trump has repeatedly declared that the US bombing of three of Iran's nuclear sites had "obliterated" them, though some experts have questioned the extent of the damage and raised the possibility that Iran had secreted away part of its enriched uranium stockpile before the strikes.
The official suggested, however, that the Iranians might still be able to gain access to Isfahan but it would be hard to remove any of the material there.
Iran has always denied seeking a nuclear weapon.
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