U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he will take a “very firm” stance on ending the war in Gaza when he meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next week.
His comments, made during a tour of a migrant detention centre in Florida, followed earlier remarks expressing hope for a truce in the nearly 21-month conflict by “sometime next week.”
President Trump is scheduled to host Netanyahu at the White House on July 7. The recent swift conclusion of Israel’s 12-day conflict with Iran has reportedly renewed optimism for a halt to the fighting in Gaza.
The ongoing, intense combat in the Palestinian territory since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel has led to a severe humanitarian crisis for over two million people.
When asked by reporters whether a ceasefire could be in place before Netanyahu’s visit, Trump stated, “We hope it’s going to happen, and we’re looking for it to happen sometime next week,” before heading to Florida.
While Trump has previously urged Israel to “make the deal in Gaza,” Israel has continued its offensive across the Palestinian territory.
The end of Israel’s brief war with Iran, which came after a U.S. bombing mission targeting Tehran’s nuclear sites, has created a potential opening for a peace agreement.
Trump is reportedly eager to add another peace deal to his recent diplomatic successes.
Responding to a question about how firm he would be with Netanyahu on ending the war, Trump replied, “Very firm.” He added, “But he wants it too…. He wants to end it, too.”
This upcoming visit on Monday will be Netanyahu’s third since Trump re-entered office in January. It follows a rare intervention by the U.S. president into Israeli domestic politics over the weekend, when Trump appeared to threaten U.S. aid to Israel in a social media post, calling for prosecutors to drop long-standing corruption charges against Netanyahu.
Netanyahu was the first foreign leader to visit Trump in his second term in February, a visit during which Trump unexpectedly announced a plan for the United States to “take over” Gaza. The Israeli premier visited again in April.
