The dramatic push came as Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said he hoped for an agreement on an elusive 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas by the end of the week.
Trump said the second meeting in two days between the US and Israeli leaders – after he hosted Netanyahu at the White House on Monday – reflected that all sides wanted to reach an agreement.
“It’s a tragedy, and he (Netanyahu) wants to get it solved, and I want to get it solved, and I think the other side wants to,” Trump told reporters at a cabinet meeting.
Netanyahu, who was also meeting congressional leaders during his third trip to Washington since Trump returned to power, is due to meet Trump again at 4.30 pm, the Israeli prime minister’s office said.
Trump has strongly backed Netanyahu, especially over the recent Iran-Israel war, but has also been stepping up the pressure to end what he calls the “hell” in Gaza.
Qatar however said Tuesday more time was needed for negotiations for a breakthrough between Israel and Hamas, as indirect negotiations extended into a third day in Doha.
“I don’t think that I can give any timeline at the moment, but I can say right now that we will need time for this,” Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said.
