Trump 2nd meeting with Netanyahu: says he wants an end to the “tragedy” in Gaza

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu met for the second time in 24 hours on Tuesday, with the American president intensifying pressure on the Israeli prime minister to reach an agreement to end the ‘tragedy’ of the war in Gaza.

Mr. Netanyahu’s in White House

Mr. Netanyahu’s return to the White House for further discussions came after Qatari mediators warned that it would take time to seal an elusive ceasefire between Israel and Hamas during the talks in Doha. Washington’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, expressed hope for an agreement by the end of the week on a 60-day truce.

The American president had announced that he would meet Mr. Netanyahu again on Tuesday, following a previous conversation the day before. He will come later. I would say that we will talk almost exclusively about Gaza. We need to find a solution, he had stated.

From Washington, Netanyahu lamented a difficult morning after the deaths, which bring to 450 the number of soldiers killed in Gaza since the start of the ground offensive on October 27, 2023.

Lebanon said three people were killed on Tuesday in a strike near Tripoli that the Israeli army said targeted a Hamas militant.

It was the first strike in the region since the ceasefire agreed in November with Hezbollah.

Qatar’s foreign ministry said negotiators were talking separately with the two delegations in Doha to establish a framework for the talks. I can say that we need time for that,” he said.

On Monday, Trump ruled out any blockage and said he was convinced Hamas was ready to accept an agreement.

Humanitarian aid on the agenda

The talks, according to a Palestinian source close to the talks, focus in particular on clauses on the [Israeli] withdrawal and the humanitarian aid that Gaza desperately needs.

According to Palestinian sources, the talks are based on a US proposal that includes a 60-day truce, during which the Palestinian Islamist movement would release 10 hostages still alive and hand over dead captives, in exchange for the release of Palestinians held by Israel.

Of the 251 people abducted on 7 October 2023, 49 are still being held in Gaza, 27 of whom have been declared dead by the Israeli army.

Two truces, in November 2023 and early 2025, allowed the return of the other hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.

According to Palestinian sources, Hamas is demanding an Israeli withdrawal, as well as guarantees on the continuation of the ceasefire and on the a resumption of humanitarian assistance by theUN and recognized international organizations.

Hamas’ response has been basically negative, but the discrepancies are minimal, a senior Israeli official told reporters accompanying Netanyahu. “We were hoping it [the breakthrough] would take a few days, but it could take longer,” he added.

The current agreement covers 80 to 90 percent of Israeli demands, according to another official.

French President Emmanuel Macron called on Tuesday in London for an unconditional ceasefire in Gaza.

According to Gaza’s civil defense, nine people were killed on Tuesday in a drone strike on the Sanabel camp for displaced people, near Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.

In Khan Younis

I saw people carrying martyrs. We don’t know where the death came from, the shelling continues,” Chaimaa Al-Shaer, a 30-year-old mother, told Sanabel.

In Khan Younis, images  showed Gazans recovering bloodied bodies from a tattered tent.

When questioned, the Israeli army did not immediately comment.

In light of Israel’s restrictions on the media in Gaza and the difficulties of access on the ground, theAFP is not able to independently verify the balance sheets and claims of the various parties.

The war was sparked by an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, to which the army responded by launching a major offensive in Gaza that killed tens of thousands of people and caused a humanitarian disaster.

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