Trump, Netanyahu set for pivotal talks

WASHINGTON — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to meet US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, as Israel and Hamas said they are ready for negotiations on a new phase in their fragile Gaza cease-fire.

Netanyahu, the first foreign leader to visit the White House since Trump returned to power last month, would discuss the truce's future and efforts to end the Gaza conflict.

Hours before their meeting, Netanyahu's office said Israel would send a delegation to the Qatari capital Doha later this week for negotiations.

"Israel is preparing for the working-level delegation to leave for Doha at the end of this week in order to discuss technical details related to the continued implementation of the agreement," the office said in a statement following meetings in Washington between Netanyahu and Trump's advisers, including Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.

Hamas has said it is ready to negotiate the second stage of the cease-fire, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, Qatar's prime minister and foreign minister, urged international partners to maintain pressure to ensure the success of the cease-fire negotiations, according to a ministry statement.

He emphasized that no party should be allowed to obstruct the process, so that this crucial opportunity is not lost. Qatar looks forward to intensifying regional and international efforts to provide humanitarian aid by supporting the United Nations in bringing in and delivering aid to all parts of the Gaza Strip, he added.

The next phase of the truce aims to secure the release of the remaining hostages and lay out steps toward ending the conflict that has devastated the Palestinian territory of 2.4 million people.

'No guarantees'

Trump said on Sunday that talks with Israel and other Middle Eastern countries were "progressing" — but then warned less than 24 hours later that there were "no guarantees that the peace is going to hold".

However, Witkoff, who met Netanyahu on Monday over terms for the second phase of the truce, said he was "certainly hopeful" the truce would stick.

Meanwhile, Israel's opposition leader Yair Lapid said on Monday that Netanyahu's government will not fall over the continuation of the cease-fire.

His remarks were aimed at preventing Netanyahu from citing domestic political pressure as a reason for resuming the conflict, The Associated Press commented.

"Netanyahu has a political safety net from the opposition for the deal, for every stage," Lapid said.

"The deal has the overwhelming support of the people of Israel, and the deal has the overwhelming support of the Knesset of Israel," he added, referring to Israel's parliament.

Under the Gaza cease-fire's current 42-day first phase, Hamas is to free 33 hostages in exchange for around 1,900 Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

Four hostage-prisoner exchanges have taken place, and 18 hostages have been freed in exchange for some 600 Palestinian prisoners.

The truce has also led to a surge of food, fuel, medical and other aid into rubble-strewn Gaza, as well as allowing displaced Gazans to return to the territory's north.

Authorities in Gaza have updated the death toll from Israel's military offensive on the enclave to 61,709, in order to include the 14,222 people still missing, AI Jazeera reported.

Officials in Gaza said hospitals received 47,487 bodies during the conflict. The revised death toll includes 17,881 children, 214 of whom are babies.

Mike Gu in Hong Kong contributed to this story.

Agencies Via Xinhua