Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once again defended the “military pressure” exerted on the Gaza Strip after a second meeting on Tuesday with US President Donald Trump, “focused on the release of the hostages.” No announcement was made regarding negotiations for a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave, which Washington hopes to reach “by the end of the week.”
“Today I had another meeting with President Trump at the White House, and then a brief meeting with Vice President (JD) Vance. We have focused on efforts to free our hostages. We have not let up for a moment, and this is possible thanks to the military pressure exerted by our heroic soldiers,” he said in a video released on Telegram.
The Israeli Prime Minister lamented that “this effort is costing us a painful price, with the loss of our best sons,” after the army announced early Tuesday the death of five soldiers in the northern Gaza Strip in an attack claimed by the armed wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), the Ezeldin al-Qassam Brigades.
“But we are determined to achieve all our goals: the release of all our hostages, both alive and dead, the elimination of Hamas’s military and governmental capabilities, and thus ensuring that Gaza ceases to pose a threat to Israel,” he asserted.
Netanyahu also indicated that another topic discussed with the White House resident was “the implications and possibilities of the great victory we achieved over Iran,” referring to the military offensive launched on June 13 by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) against the Central Asian country, which was later joined by Washington with attacks on three Iranian nuclear power plants, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,100 people.
“Opportunities are opening up here to expand the circle of peace, expanding the Abraham Accords. We are working on this with all our vigor,” he added, before reiterating his gratitude to Trump, whom he recommended for the Nobel Peace Prize, “for the decisive action he has taken and for the joint effort we are making today to bring a great future to the Middle East and the State of Israel.”
These statements come as delegations from Israel and Hamas began indirect contacts in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Tuesday to try to reach an agreement after the Israeli army broke the January pact on March 18 and relaunched its offensive against the Palestinian enclave.
In this regard, the United States special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, stated that he hopes to reach a provisional 60-day ceasefire agreement between the two parties in the Gaza Strip “by the end of the week.”
