Trump to host Netanyahu at White House as Gaza ceasefire talks begin in Doha
The talks, which began in Doha on Sunday evening, are also seeking to reach an agreement on the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Speaking on Sunday, Trump said there was a 'good chance' of reaching an agreement.
'We've gotten a lot of the hostages out, but pertaining to the remaining hostages, quite a few of them will be coming out,' he told journalists.
Netanyahu, speaking before boarding his flight to Washington on Sunday, said his meeting with Trump could 'definitely help advance this' deal.
He said he had dispatched the team to Doha with 'clear instructions' to reach an agreement 'under the conditions that we have agreed to.'
He previously said Hamas's response to a draft US-backed ceasefire proposal, conveyed through Qatari and Egyptian mediators, contained 'unacceptable' demands.
'Important mission'
Two Palestinian sources close to the discussions told AFP the proposal included a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and several bodies in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel.
However, they said, the group was also demanding certain conditions for Israel's withdrawal, guarantees against a resumption of fighting during negotiations, and the return of the UN-led aid distribution system.
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Israeli army vehicles moves in the Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel.
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Netanyahu has an 'important mission' in Washington, 'advancing a deal to bring all our hostages home,' said Israeli President Isaac Herzog after meeting him Sunday.
Trump is not scheduled to meet the Israeli premier until 6.30pm (11.30pm Irish time), the White House said, without the usual presence of journalists.
Of the 251 hostages taken by Palestinian militants during the 2023 attack, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
Since Hamas's October 2023 attack sparked the current Israeli offensive in Gaza, mediators have brokered two temporary halts in the fighting. They have seen hostages freed in exchange for some of the thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody.
Israel broke the last ceasefire agreement and resumed its offensive on 18 March. Recent efforts to broker a new truce have repeatedly failed, with the primary point of contention being Israel's rejection of Hamas's demand for a lasting ceasefire.
'Enough blood'
In Gaza, the territory's civil defense agency reported 26 people killed by Israeli forces on Sunday, 10 of them in a strike in Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood.
'We are losing young people, families and children every day, and this must stop now,' Sheikh Radwan resident Osama al-Hanawi told AFP.
'Enough blood has been shed.'
Palestinians crowd to receive a hot meal at a food distribution point in Khan Younis.
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defense agency.
Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it could not comment on specific strikes without precise coordinates.
Hundreds killed seeking aid
The war has created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip.
Related Reads
Israeli air strikes kill 38 Palestinians in Gaza as Netanyahu prepares to fly to Washington
Hamas ready to start Gaza ceasefire talks 'immediately' as Israel continues strikes on Gaza
A US and Israel-backed group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), took the lead in food distribution in the territory in late May, when Israel partially lifted a more than two-month blockade on aid deliveries.
But its operations have had a chaotic rollout, with Palestinians seeking aid being killed near its facilities while awaiting rations on a near daily basis.
UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the GHF over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.
The UN human rights office said last week that more than 500 people have been killed waiting to access food from GHF distribution points.
The Gaza health ministry on Sunday placed that toll even higher, at 751 killed.
Hamas's October 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 57,418 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The United Nations considers the figures reliable.
With reporting from
© AFP 2025
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