by Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – President Donald Trump said Tuesday he expects a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas to be finalized by next week, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares for a high-stakes visit to Washington.
“I think we’ll have a deal next week,” Trump told reporters, adding that Netanyahu “wants it too.” The President confirmed he plans to be “very firm” with the Israeli leader when they meet Monday, July 7, at the White House, citing the urgent need to end the months-long war in Gaza.
Netanyahu announced Monday that he would travel to the United States to meet not only with Trump but also with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer has already arrived in Washington to lay the groundwork.
The expected ceasefire agreement would reportedly see Hamas release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others during a 60-day truce, with the possibility of a permanent ceasefire if negotiations continue. While Hamas has responded positively to the U.S.-backed proposal, it is seeking to modify the timeline of hostage releases and to limit Israel’s ability to resume military operations if ceasefire talks falter.
Sources close to the negotiations say Hamas wants to spread the release of hostages more evenly throughout the truce, a move intended to keep pressure on Israel to engage in sustained diplomacy. Netanyahu has previously signaled support for the Witkoff proposal “in principle,” according to families of Israeli hostages.
In Tel Aviv, Israeli officials appear to be recalibrating their war aims. During a cabinet meeting earlier this week, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir reportedly told ministers that “Hamas is dead,” citing the terror group’s lack of retaliation during Israel’s 12-day conflict with Iran last month. Zamir clashed with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who pushed for full military conquest of Gaza–a strategy Zamir warned could endanger hostages and breach international law.
Netanyahu maintained that the war would not formally end until Hamas is defeated but hinted that the definition of “defeat” could be flexible enough to justify a negotiated resolution in the coming weeks. According to senior officials quoted in Israeli media, the prime minister is showing increasing willingness to embrace a deal.
“There is a positive dynamic and lively activity on the issue of negotiations,” one senior Israeli official told The Times of Israel.
Trump, meanwhile, emphasized that the Gaza war and the aftermath of the “great success” of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure would be central to his discussions with Netanyahu. “That was a precision warstrike — and the word ‘obliteration’ can now be used,” Trump said. “We’re also going to talk about Gaza. We want to get the rest of the hostages back.”
He also sharply criticized major U.S. media outlets for downplaying the Iran operation. “CNN, mostly, and the New York Times demeaned these great soldiers… It was a total and complete obliteration, and we should celebrate these heroes,” he said.
Trade issues will also be on the agenda. Trump confirmed that his administration will notify trade partners about higher tariffs that will take effect after July 9. The United States had originally imposed a 17% tariff on Israeli imports, and Netanyahu said further negotiations were needed to finalize a broader trade agreement.
“We still have a few things to finalize,” the prime minister said. “I’ll also have meetings with congressional and Senate leaders and some security meetings.”
The White House is signaling growing optimism that with U.S. pressure on Qatar–and Qatari pressure on Hamas–a deal could finally be within reach. While cautious, Israeli officials say there is now “a more positive approach to moving forward.”
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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