Trump to meet Qatar's prime minister to discuss Gaza ceasefire deal
Israeli and Hamas negotiators have been participating in the latest round of ceasefire talks in Doha since July 6, discussing a US-backed proposal for a 60-day truce that envisions a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals from parts of Gaza, and discussions on ending the war.
Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said on Sunday he was 'hopeful' about the negotiations underway in Qatar, a key mediator between the two sides.
US, Qatari and Egyptian officials have been working to secure an agreement, but Israel and Hamas remain divided over the scope of an eventual Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave.
The latest round of bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered in October 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel. Israel says Hamas killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages.
Gaza's health ministry says Israel's subsequent military campaign has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians. It has also caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced Gaza's entire population, and prompted accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice and war crimes at the International Criminal Court — charges Israel denies.
A previous two-month ceasefire collapsed when Israeli strikes killed more than 400 Palestinians on March 18.
Earlier this year, Trump proposed a US takeover of Gaza — a plan widely condemned by human rights groups, the United Nations and Palestinian leaders as tantamount to 'ethnic cleansing.'
Trump and Sheikh Mohammed are also expected to discuss efforts to resume US-Iran nuclear negotiations, Axios reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.
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