Trump-Netanyahu meeting focuses on hostages while Qatar rejects forced displacement of Palestinians

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his second meeting with United States President Donald Trump at the White House focused on the efforts to release hostages held captive by Palestinian militant group Hamas while objections of his earlier words on relocating Palestinians grow.

The unscheduled meeting took place on July 8 after Trump hosted a dinner for his visiting counterpart on Monday night.

In a statement published by the Prime Minister's Office on July 9, Netanyahu said: "We are determined to achieve all of our objectives: The release of all of our hostages – the living and the deceased, and the elimination of Hamas's military and governing capabilities, thereby ensuring that Gaza will never again constitute a threat to Israel."

"Opportunities have been opened here for expanding the circle of peace, for expanding the Abraham Accords. We are working on this with full vigor," the statement added.

On Tuesday, a delegation of senior Qatari officials met with US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff for three hours at the White House to discuss the ongoing negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, the Times of Israel reported. It also said Witkoff has pushed back his flight to Doha, adding that a new departure date has not been set.

At a weekly news briefing Tuesday, Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari affirmed that indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, currently hosted by Doha, aimed to bridge the gap regarding the negotiation framework that precedes the actual negotiation process.

Al Ansari noted that it was "too early to draw any conclusions about these negotiations, except that the talks are ongoing and the parties are engaged". He also reiterated Qatar's firm stance and categorical rejection of any plan aimed at displacing the Palestinian people from their land.

He also pointed out that some of the statements in the media regarding displacement "contradict international and humanitarian laws" and called on the international community to support the rejection of the displacement of the Palestinian people, underlining the international consensus against any forced displacement of Palestinians from their land.

Al Ansari also explained that it was "premature to present a vision regarding the outcome of the ongoing negotiations or a specific timeline, pointing out that there is positive engagement from both sides so far".

Further, he said that the current discussions "are specifically focused on the proposed truce, its conditions, and the guarantees that can be provided to reach positive outcomes, and what this truce could lead to in terms of resuming negotiations for a final resolution to this crisis and humanitarian disaster".

He also stated that Qatar welcomes the visit of US President envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff at any time, noting that such a visit "would support the ongoing consultations between the negotiating parties currently in Doha", adding that any escalation on the ground "complicates the mediators mission".

Meanwhile, Carl Skau, deputy executive director and chief operating officer, World Food Programme, said in a post on X that the needs in Gaza "are higher than ever", and "our ability to respond has never been more constrained".

"Starvation is spreading -- people are dying just trying to find food," said Skau.

"We have the food, capacity, and readiness to deliver. During the last ceasefire, we got 8,000 trucks into Gaza in 42 days. We can do it again. But we need all routes and entry points to open, and we need safety. And a ceasefire, which must also be a step toward lasting peace," he added.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has warned that catastrophic conditions on the ground in Gaza "are deteriorating even further". The OCHA warns that the fuel crisis in Gaza has reached a critical point.

"What little fuel remains is already being used to power the most essential operations – such as intensive care units and water desalination – but those supplies are running out fast, and there are virtually no additional accessible stocks left," according to the OCHA website update on July 8.