President Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House for a second day on Tuesday, holding a 90-minute meeting in the Oval Office. The two leaders were also joined by Vice President JD Vance.
According to media reports, the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the potential for a Gaza ceasefire deal. Haaretz reported that following the Trump-Netanyahu meeting, US envoy Steve Witkoff will now travel to Qatar for ceasefire negotiations, but his office said the trip hasn’t been finalized.
The negotiations in Doha are focusing on the potential of a 60-day ceasefire, during which the two sides are supposed to negotiate a long-term deal. Hamas is looking for a stronger guarantee from the US that it is committed to turning the temporary truce into a permanent one.
There are conflicting reports on the progress in the ceasefire negotiations. Some have said the issues over aid deliveries have been resolved and that the main impasse is now over Israel’s demand to maintain control of the “Morag Corridor,” a strip of land between the southern Gaza cities of Rafah and Khan Younis, while other reports say there has been no progress at all.
A Palestinian official told the Saudi Asharq News outlet that negotiations are “at a standstill” because the Israeli negotiating team is “limiting itself to listening rather than negotiating” and consulting on “every issue” with officials back in Israel. The official charged that the lack of authority for the negotiating team was “a continuation of the stalling policy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to obstruct any potential agreement.”
Drop Site News reporter Jeremy Scahill said in a post on X that a Hamas official told him that claims from US officials that there was progress are part of a “deception game,” likely so the US and Israel can blame Hamas for the lack of a deal. The official also mentioned Israel’s demands about the Morag Corridor and its plans to build a camp to concentrate Gaza’s civilian population on the ruins of Rafah, which Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Monday.
“This is a fluid situation and developments can happen at any moment as the talks continue and with Netanyahu in DC,” Scahill said. “The bottom line will be what Trump wants and all parties know this.”
While Trump says he wants a deal, it remains unclear if he’s willing to put enough pressure on Netanyahu to reach one. US military aid is required for Israel to sustain its military operations and continue its genocidal war on the Palestinians of Gaza, meaning Trump has significant leverage.
Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes in Gaza, met with other US officials on Tuesday, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).
