Israeli prime minister flies to Washington for talks on Gaza ceasefire deal

ISTANBUL

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left Tel Aviv on Sunday for Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump for talks on regional issues, including a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement.

In his third visit to the US within six months, Netanyahu is expected to discuss with Trump a new proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage swap deal.

“We are working to secure a deal under terms we have agreed to. I sent a negotiating team with clear instructions, and my conversation with President Trump may help move things forward,” Yedioth Ahronoth quoted Netanyahu as saying before boarding the flight.

An Israeli delegation departed for the Qatari capital, Doha, early Sunday to hold indirect negotiations with Hamas on a possible Gaza ceasefire deal.

"I am committed to these three tasks: freeing and bringing all our hostages, both the living and the fallen, eliminating Hamas's capabilities – removing them from Gaza, and ensuring that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel," Netanyahu said.

He also said that he will thank Trump for “his unwavering support for Israel, which led to a tremendous victory over our enemy – Iran.”

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also joined Netanyahu on his flight, in an unusual procedure.

Hamas said late Friday that it had submitted a “positive” response to mediators regarding a recent Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange proposal.

Israeli media said that the latest proposal likely includes a phased release of half of the living Israeli hostages (10) and half of the remains (18) over 60 days.

In exchange, Israel would free a larger number of Palestinian detainees still held in its prisons, and begin partial troop withdrawals from pre‑agreed areas within Gaza.

Still, major sticking points remain as Hamas insists that the UN oversee humanitarian aid distribution, demands security guarantees against renewed hostilities after the 60‑day truce, and seeks clarity on which Palestinian prisoners will be released. Israel, meanwhile, insists on Hamas disarmament and the exile of its leaders, conditions Hamas has rejected.

Despite international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has pursued a genocidal war on Gaza, killing more than 57,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children, since October 2023.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.