President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have said they believe that a cease -the fire with Hamas is “very close”.
“We want to have peace. We want to get the hostages back. And I think we’re almost doing it,” he added.
Netanyahu reflected the feelings in an interview with Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo on ‘Mornings with Maria’, which was broadcast earlier on Wednesday. He said he believed that there is a “good chance” that a cease-fire of 60 days will be reached with the terrorist network.
“We are talking about a 60-day ceasefire in which half of the live hostages and half of the deceased hostages would be returned to Israel by these Hamas samples,” he said after a Tuesday evening meeting with Trump. “I think we are getting closer to a deal. I think there is a good chance that we will have it.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets President Donald Trump during a dinner in the Blue Room of the White House on July 7, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty images)
Prior to the high -level meetings this week, Trump was expected to put pressure on Netanyahu to close a deal to put an end to Israel’s war in Gaza and to return all 50 hostages. The Israeli government assesses 28 of the hostages who have to be died, including Hadar Goldin, who was taken in 2014, and 27 hostages who were abducted on October 7, 2023 – including Americans Omerra and Itay Chen.
As a result, 22 hostages are still rated as alive, although some comments from Netanyahu have suggested that the fate of different hostages remains unknown. In his sitdown with Bartiromo, the Israeli leader said that there was “20 Living left and 30 deceased. “
“I am dedicated to get them all out and to get Hamas out of the picture,” he added, comparing the terrorist network with the Nazi -SSS.
According to Hamas leader Taher al-Nono in a statement to Al-Jazeera on Wednesday, Hamas has agreed to release 10 hostages to guarantee the continuous stream of help and stop the fighting, but he did not specify whether this and deceased hostages would include.
“The current negotiation round stands for considerable challenges, and the position of the movement is sturdy with regard to the basic requirements for each agreement with the occupation, including the full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and an extensive stopping of aggression,” was the statement. “We emphasize the importance of international guarantees, and the United States of America have the real keys to busy” Israel “to end the war if it has the political will.”
Special Enovy at the Midden -East Steve Witkoff on Tuesday told reporters that he is planning to go to Doha this week to continue the negotiations with mediators, who started on Sunday.
Witkoff reportedly said he is that Hopeful a deal Can be protected this week.
President Donald Trump houses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House on July 7, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty images)
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The exact hiccups in the negotiations remain unclear, although disagreements about the constant military presence of Israel in the Gaza Strip and a day after plan for the Palestinians have long since plagued the conversations.
Bartiromo also asked Netanyahu about frustrations mounted between the international community, Israel and the US about the distribution of help through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) instead of the United Nations.
“We have our own distribution system that has been established to prevent Hamas from stealing the food to go to the population,” said Netanyahu. “They steal it, they take it for themselves, and the rest they walk the prizes and actually take the Palestinian population to use it to continue recruiting people to their war machine.”
Palestinians wear bags and boxes with food and humanitarian auxiliary packages delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in Rafah, Southern Gaza Strip, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
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Netanyahu said that he does not want to give up the distribution system that has worked to ensure that Hamas does not steal help and uses it as a black market products to squeeze citizens and a terrorist recruitment instrument.
While the UN has continued to spread the help in Gaza, the convoys were repeatedly attacked and looted by suspected Hamas terrorists.
The Israeli Prime Minister said he expects the UN and GHF to spread help under the 60-day plan.
