Trump met with PM Netanyahu for 'second time' to discuss Gaza ceasefire deal

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday met, for a second time in two days, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Gaza, as Trump's Middle East envoy said Israel and Hamas were close to ironing out their differences on a ceasefire deal.

The Israeli leader departed the White House on Tuesday evening after just over an hour's meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, with no press access, Reuters reported.

The two men also met for several hours during a dinner at the White House on Monday during Netanyahu's third US visit since the president began his second term on January 20.

Netanyahu met with Vice President JD Vance and then visited the US Capitol on Tuesday, and is due back in Congress on Wednesday to meet with US Senate leaders.

He told reporters after a meeting with the Republican House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson that while he did not think Israel's campaign in the Palestinian enclave was done, negotiators are "certainly working" on a ceasefire.

"We have still to finish the job in Gaza, release all our hostages, eliminate and destroy Hamas' military and government capabilities," Netanyahu said.

Shortly after Netanyahu spoke, Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said the issues keeping Israel and Hamas from agreeing had dropped to one from four and he hoped to reach a temporary ceasefire agreement this week.

"We are hopeful that by the end of this week, we'll have an agreement that will bring us into a 60-day ceasefire. Ten live hostages will be released. Nine deceased will be released," Witkoff told reporters at a meeting of Trump's Cabinet.

A delegation from Qatar, which has been hosting indirect talks between Israeli negotiators and the Hamas Palestinian group, met with senior White House officials for several hours before Netanyahu's arrival on Tuesday, Axios reported, citing a source familiar with the details.

The White House had no immediate comment on the report.

Trump had strongly supported Netanyahu, even wading into domestic Israeli politics by criticising prosecutors over a corruption trial against the Israeli leader on bribery, fraud and breach-of-trust charges that Netanyahu denies.

In his remarks to reporters at the US Congress, Netanyahu praised Trump, saying there has never been closer coordination between the US and Israel in his country's history.

Israel claims to have killed a senior Hezbollah figure near Lebanon’s capital

"The Israeli military says it has killed Hussein Ali Muzhir, the head of fire coordination for Hezbollah’s Badr Unit in the Zahrani sector, in a strike on the municipality of al-Babliyah, about 60 km (40 miles) southeast of Beirut, last night,".

The statement claimed Muzhir had organised multiple attacks against Israel and its troops, and he was actively working to rebuild Hezbollah’s artillery capabilities in southern Lebanon.

It said Muzhir’s actions had been against “understandings” between Israel and Lebanon, and said it would continue to remove any threats posed to Israel.

Gaza death toll rises

Over 105 Palestinians have been killed and 530 injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza in the last 24 hours, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry.

The toll included seven aid seekers killed and more than 57 injured, the statement published by the ministry on Telegram said.

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed a total of 57,680 people and injured 137,409 since October 7, 2023.

Israel's war on Gaza

The Israeli army has launched a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing at least 57,481 Palestinians, including 134,592 children. More than 111,588 people have been injured, and over 14,222 are missing and presumed dead.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave. The proposed deal includes a pause in hostilities, increased humanitarian aid, and negotiations on the release of captives.