U.S. President Donald Trump welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the entrance of the White House in Washington, on April 7, 2025. (Credit: Leah Millis/Reuters)
Several Israeli media outlets reported Monday that the Trump administration pressured the Israeli government to move up Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington, initially scheduled for mid-July, intending to obtain a new cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli prime minister will travel to the United States next week to meet with American President Donald Trump at the White House, according to a source familiar with the matter cited by Haaretz.
The Israeli opposition media added that senior American administration officials have informed Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, expected in Washington this week, that an agreement must be reached on "stopping attacks on Gaza and the return of the remaining hostages." These American officials also reportedly told Dermer that Israel's insistence on "eliminating Hamas" should be "left for later."
On Sunday, Trump posted on Truth Social: "Make a deal in Gaza, bring back the [Israeli] hostages," which was interpreted as a message aimed at Netanyahu.
This announcement came as a senior Israeli official told Axios on Monday that Israel would be willing to show "flexibility on certain formulations" in negotiations for a cease-fire agreement and the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, though not committing to "put an end to the war permanently," as demanded by Hamas.
According to the media, the main disagreement between the two parties remains Hamas's demand for "clear guarantees on the end of hostilities," a condition Israel categorically refuses. "We are ready to be flexible to a certain extent, but they will not get a guarantee on ending the war," this senior Israeli official stated.
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