United States President Donald Trump on Sunday expressed optimism about securing a truce in Gaza, declaring there was a “good chance” of achieving a ceasefire agreement with Hamas within the next week, as fresh negotiations began in Doha.
Standing beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, the US President said, “We have recovered a lot of captives from Hamas, and quite a few will be coming out soon.”
The two leaders held talks in Washington while their negotiating teams, Israeli officials and Hamas representatives, convened in the Qatari capital to discuss a new peace framework after 21 months of war. The proposal reportedly includes a 60-day truce during which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the bodies of several others in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
Netanyahu, before departing for the United States, had said his meeting with Trump would “definitely help advance this” deal. He confirmed that Israeli negotiators were dispatched to Doha with “clear instructions” to reach an agreement “under the conditions that we have agreed to.”
The war in Gaza, which erupted following the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack that resulted in the abduction of 251 Israelis, continues to extract a staggering toll on civilians. Of those taken, 49 are still believed to be in captivity, with the Israel Defence Forces stating that 27 of them are confirmed dead.
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The civilian cost of the war continues to mount. According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, the total number of Palestinians killed has risen to 57,418, a figure which includes a vast majority of civilians. United Nations agencies have treated these tallies as broadly credible in their humanitarian reporting.
As fighting intensifies around humanitarian aid centres, the toll has worsened. Israeli operations near distribution points run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) have drawn severe international criticism, with the UN describing the aid zones as a “death trap” for the desperate.
At least 600 civilians have been reported killed near aid centres, while the Gaza Health Ministry placed the number at 751, with thousands more injured. Airstrikes and ground assaults have continued to devastate refugee camps, hospitals, makeshift schools, and even tents sheltering the displaced.
Despite repeated US efforts under Trump’s leadership since taking office in January, no lasting resolution has been reached. However, both sides now appear cautiously receptive to renewed diplomatic efforts, driven by mounting domestic pressure and humanitarian outrage.
International observers said Trump’s direct engagement with Netanyahu, his first in-person meeting since returning to the White House, could create new momentum, though the chasm between the two sides remains wide.
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