Washington, D.C. (Agencies): July 8, 2025 — U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a high-stakes dinner at the White House on Monday, seeking to accelerate progress toward a ceasefire in Gaza as indirect negotiations with Hamas continued in Qatar.
The meeting came as Trump’s administration presses for swift acceptance of a U.S.-brokered proposal involving a 60-day truce. Under the draft deal, Hamas would release 10 living hostages and several bodies in exchange for the release of Palestinian detainees held by Israel, according to two Palestinian sources familiar with the talks.
“I don’t think there is a hold up. I think things are going along very well,” Trump told reporters, expressing confidence that Hamas is ready to strike a deal. He also reiterated that ending the 22-month-long war in Gaza and securing the return of hostages remains his top Middle East priority.
Netanyahu, making his third visit to Washington since Trump’s return to office, surprised observers by presenting a formal letter nominating the U.S. president for the Nobel Peace Prize, praising him for “forging peace… in one country, in one region after the other.”
However, Netanyahu was more circumspect on long-term Palestinian statehood, flatly rejecting the idea of a fully sovereign Palestinian state and insisting that Israel would “always” retain security control over Gaza. “Now, people will say it’s not a complete state, it’s not a state. We don’t care,” he stated.
While the Israeli delegation has endorsed the U.S. ceasefire framework, talks in Doha wrapped up Monday without a breakthrough. Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to join the negotiations later this week in an effort to overcome remaining obstacles.
As discussions continued behind closed doors, protests erupted outside the White House, with demonstrators denouncing Netanyahu’s role in the war and accusing Israel of committing atrocities.
The conflict—which began with the October 2023 Hamas attack that killed over 1,200 people—has claimed at least 57,523 lives in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry. The humanitarian crisis has drawn urgent appeals from global leaders for a durable ceasefire and a path forward for regional stability.