Trump Sees Gaza Ceasefire Next Week, Plans Firm Netanyahu Talks

President Donald Trump said he believes a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is “close,” telling reporters at the White House on 27 June that an agreement could be reached “within the next week.” The remark, repeated in several subsequent appearances, is the most optimistic public assessment Washington has offered since it began pressing the parties to halt a conflict that has devastated the coastal enclave.

Speaking aboard Air Force One on 1 July, Trump reiterated that the administration is “looking for it to happen sometime next week” and disclosed that he will be “very firm” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when the two leaders meet at the White House on 7 July. Trump said both he and Netanyahu want the war to end and confirmed U.S. backing for a draft 60-day truce that has been circulated by Qatari and Egyptian mediators.

Hamas has told regional media it has responded to the U.S. proposal “in a positive spirit,” while Israeli officials have signalled willingness to resume indirect talks in Doha if the outline is accepted. Fighting, however, has continued: Gaza health authorities say more than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed during the 20-month war, and overnight Israeli air-strikes on 1 July left at least 18 further casualties. Trump’s comments raise expectations that the forthcoming Washington talks could be pivotal in converting tentative progress into a formal ceasefire.