Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to travel to Washington on Monday as negotiations continue toward a potential ceasefire with Hamas. Israeli negotiators are also heading to Qatar to participate in discussions aimed at de-escalating the current conflict.
This visit marks Netanyahu’s third trip to the United States since President Donald Trump took office, all of which have occurred despite an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court. Neither Israel nor the United States is a party to this court.
Netanyahu’s visit comes on the heels of U.S. military involvement in airstrikes during Israel’s ongoing hostilities with Iran. During Netanyahu’s previous visit to the White House in April, he was taken aback when President Trump indicated a willingness to engage directly with Iran to negotiate on its nuclear program.
In the time since, Trump has intensified efforts toward facilitating peace negotiations in the Middle East, particularly focusing on normalizing relations between Israel and its neighboring countries, possibly extending to Syria. This push for diplomacy follows the lifting of sanctions against Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who previously had affiliations with al-Qaeda.
The primary agenda for the Monday meeting is expected to focus on a 60-day pause in hostilities with Hamas. In January 2025, a key three-phase ceasefire deal was signed between Israel and Hamas. Phase One, which concluded in early March, involved reciprocal hostage releases, provisions for humanitarian aid, and limited Israeli troop withdrawals.
However, as preparations for Phase Two were underway, Israel proposed amendments to the ceasefire conditions, which were promptly rejected by Hamas. In light of this, Israel launched a significant airstrike on March 18, effectively shattering the truce and resuming hostilities.
Since then, U.S.-brokered discussions, spurred by Trump’s recent calls for a 60-day ceasefire, have resumed yet remain stalled amid continued tensions.
Last week, Trump shared that Israel has accepted a new U.S.-backed 60-day ceasefire proposal, a move that Hamas has responded to positively. Nonetheless, the group is advocating for revisions to some aspects of the proposal.
Hussam Badran, head of Hamas’ National Relations Office, announced on Sunday that extensive consultations have taken place among various Palestinian factions regarding the group’s response to the new framework. Badran indicated that these discussions fostered a collective consensus among the Palestinian factions in support of the stances taken by Hamas.
He noted, “These contacts witnessed a high level of practical and serious consultation… resulting in a unified national consensus in support of the position of the Palestinian resistance forces.”
A senior Palestinian official has informed the BBC that Hamas demands the immediate cessation of operations by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a new organization established in Delaware with backing from Israel that currently oversees aid distribution to Gaza. Humanitarian organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, Amnesty International, and Oxfam have criticized the GHF due to reports of violence against individuals seeking aid in the region.
In addition to halting the GHF’s operations, Hamas is demanding a withdrawal of Israeli troops and is seeking guarantees from the United States that Israeli military operations will not be resumed should the ceasefire fail to transition into a lasting peace.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, 80 individuals died and 304 were injured in the enclave over the course of 24 hours, raising the toll of fatalities since the March collapse of ceasefire talks to 6,860. Additionally, nearly 60,000 individuals have lost their lives since the commencement of the conflict.
Netanyahu’s office responded to Hamas’ latest demands by stating they are unacceptable to Israel.
“In light of an assessment of the situation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed that the invitation to proximity talks be accepted… and that the contacts for the return of our hostages… be continued,” said a statement from Netanyahu’s office.
The negotiating team is slated to depart for Qatar shortly.
In another regional development, Naim Qassem, a leader of Hezbollah, the Lebanese political party with an armed wing, delivered a speech on Sunday criticizing Israel for allegedly violating the terms of its recent ceasefire agreement while occupying parts of Lebanon.
Qassem firmly opposed any normalization of relations with Israel, labeling it an unacceptable concession. He characterized such efforts towards diplomacy as a broader attempt to force surrender, a position that Hezbollah will resist.
While he expressed conditional support for a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, Qassem emphasized that an agreement must include a complete cessation of Israeli military operations in Lebanon.
As Netanyahu prepared for his departure to the United States, news broke of his decision to dismiss his spokesperson, Omer Dostri. Dostri expressed gratitude on social media for the opportunity to support the Prime Minister during what he described as one of the most complex periods in recent history.
Netanyahu’s office shared a statement from the Prime Minister ahead of his departure, referring to the recent military conflict with Iran as a victory over a mutual enemy. He suggested that Israel has the potential to reshape the Middle East significantly and referred to ongoing negotiations as integral to that goal.
“We have already changed the face of the Middle East beyond recognition, and we have an opportunity and the ability to change it further to enable a great future for Israel and the entire Middle East,” Netanyahu stated.
He concluded by asserting his belief that discussions with President Trump could play a vital role in advancing diplomatic efforts between Israel and Hamas.
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