‘Gaza peace not too distant,’ says Donald Trump, Netanyahu eyes ‘new deal’ for hostages

US President Donald Trump, who met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, said that he would like to see the ongoing war in Gaza come to an end, pointing to what he believes is a “not-too-distant future” for peace.

US President Donald Trump and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to reporters in the Oval Office after their highly anticipated meeting amid the ongoing Israel- Hamas war.(AP)

“I’d like to see the war stop, and I think the war will stop at some point, that won’t be in the too-distant future,” Trump said on being asked if he would deliver on his election campaign promise to end the war in Gaza, reported Reuters.

Trump said work was ongoing to free hostages held by Hamas, but securing the release of all the hostages was “a long process.”

The US President’s remark came as he and Netanyahu spoke to reporters in the Oval Office after their highly anticipated meeting amid the ongoing Israel- Hamas war.

Netanyahu on the future of the Gaza war

Netanyahu said he had also discussed with Trump the US president’s “bold vision” for the future of Gaza, a reference to a proposal for the US to take over the enclave that Trump put forward multiple times during the opening weeks of his administration.

Earlier on Monday, Trump said having “a peace force like the United States there controlling and owning the Gaza Strip would be a good thing” and once again suggested that Palestinians from Gaza could be moved to different countries.

Trump’s plan, however, has been globally condemned as a proposal for ethnic cleansing.

Trump-Netanyahu meeting: What the leaders said on release of hostages

One of the major issues in the ongoing conflict, especially for the US, is the fate of hostages taken by Hamas during the initial attack.

Trump acknowledged the efforts to free these hostages held by Hamas, but said securing the release of all the hostages was “a long process.”

Following the January ceasefire that saw some hostages released, Netanyahu said, Israel was working on “another deal we hope will succeed.”

“We’re committed to getting all the hostages out, but also eliminating the evil tyranny of Hamas in Gaza and enabling the people of Gaza to freely make a choice to go wherever they want,” he said.

Working on another deal: Netanyahu at Oval Office

After the meeting with Trump, Prime Minister Netanyahu also stated that Israel was working toward another potential deal to release hostages, adding that Israel’s ultimate goal was not only securing the hostages’ freedom but also “eliminating the evil tyranny of Hamas in Gaza.”

He framed this as a chance for the people of Gaza to “freely choose to go wherever they want,” a sentiment that further complicated the discussion about the future of the region.

Israel launched the war after Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Since then, Israel has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities.