Daijiworld Media Network – Washington
Washington, Jul 9: US President Donald Trump met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the second time in 24 hours on Tuesday, as pressure mounted to reach a ceasefire agreement and end the war in Gaza.
Calling the situation a ‘tragedy,’ Trump said both leaders were committed to finding a resolution. “He wants to get it solved, and I want to get it solved, and I think the other side wants to,” Trump told reporters. The two leaders also had a private dinner the night before.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, expressed hope that an agreement could be reached within days. “We are hopeful that by end of this week we will have an agreement that will bring us into a 60-day ceasefire,” he said. The proposed deal includes the return of 10 live hostages and the remains of nine others held by Palestinian militant groups since Hamas’s October 7 attack.
Meanwhile, ceasefire talks continued in Doha, mediated by Qatar, the US, and Egypt. But Qatari officials indicated more time was needed. “I don't think I can give any timeline… we will need time for this,” said Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari.
Despite ongoing diplomacy, violence escalated on the ground. Israeli airstrikes killed 29 people in Gaza on Tuesday, including three children, while five Israeli soldiers died in northern Gaza—the deadliest day for Israeli troops this year. A separate Israeli strike near Tripoli, Lebanon, killed three people in what the military said was a targeted hit on a Hamas militant.
Back in Washington, Netanyahu told US House Speaker Mike Johnson, “We’re certainly working on it,” when asked if a ceasefire announcement was imminent.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack that killed 1,219 people in Israel, mostly civilians. Militants also took 251 hostages; 49 remain in captivity, with at least 27 believed dead.
Israel’s retaliatory strikes in Gaza have since claimed over 57,575 lives, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry—figures deemed reliable by the UN.