Israel Reports about Trump-Netanyahu meeting
Just a few days after US President Donald Trump made statements about a possible ceasefire in the Gaza war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is traveling to Washington, according to media reports.
01.07.2025, 06:04
SDA
He will meet Trump at the White House on Monday to discuss Gaza and Iran. According to the Times of Israel, a US official emphasized that Trump's aim was to bring about an end to the war and the release of the remaining hostages. Netanyahu will reconvene his security cabinet before his US visit on Thursday to decide on the next phase of the war against the Islamist Hamas, it was reported.
A few days after a ceasefire between Israel and Iran came into force, Trump had said that the Gaza war was also close to a ceasefire. Israel is under pressure from the USA to reach an agreement to end the war, which has been going on for more than 20 months, wrote the Times of Israel. Israel is prepared to relax some positions in order to reach an agreement on the release of hostages and a ceasefire, the Israeli journalist Barak Ravid quoted a senior Israeli official as saying. However, there would be no prior commitment that a ceasefire would lead to the end of the war. But that is what Hamas is demanding.
Report: Israel wants an agreement as quickly as possible
Israel wants to reach an agreement as soon as possible, as the danger to the lives of the hostages is growing by the day due to the anarchy in the Gaza Strip and the fact that more and more areas are controlled by clans instead of Hamas, Ravid quoted an Israeli official as saying. However, if there is no progress in negotiations on a hostage agreement, the ground offensive will be expanded. Israel's Minister for Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, is in Washington this week talking to US officials about efforts to resume mediation talks.
According to Israeli media reports, Netanyahu has signaled that he will now prioritize the return of the hostages - above all else, such as the victory over the Islamist Hamas that he repeatedly invokes. "First of all, we must free the hostages," Netanyahu was quoted as saying by the Times of Israel. "Of course, we also have to solve the Gaza problem and defeat Hamas, but I believe that we will accomplish both tasks," he said. His cabinet will first await the results of Dermer's meeting in Washington before considering further "significant steps" in the sealed-off coastal strip, wrote the "Jerusalem Post".
The war continues for the time being
There was initially no official confirmation of Netanyahu's visit to Washington from the Israeli government. Trump's spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that Netanyahu had expressed interest in meeting with the US president in Washington. They are working on an appointment. Trump last received Netanyahu in the White House in April - and before that in early February as the first foreign guest in his new term of office.
Meanwhile, the war in the Gaza Strip continues unabated. According to Palestinian reports, at least 34 people were killed in an Israeli attack in the city of Gaza in the north of the sealed-off coastal area. According to eyewitnesses, a café on a beach promenade was hit. The terrorist organization Hamas, however, spoke of a camp for displaced persons. The Israeli army stated on request that the target of the attack was members of Hamas. The incident is being investigated. None of the information can currently be independently verified.
Israeli military changes approach to aid centers after deaths
Meanwhile, the Israeli military has announced that it is reorganizing its approach around humanitarian aid distribution centers following a series of incidents in which soldiers shot at crowds of people they believed posed a threat to soldiers. According to the local health authorities, hundreds of Palestinians were killed.
The Israeli army said it had fenced off the distribution centers run by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), opened additional access routes and erected barriers to reduce "tensions with the population". Upon request, the army confirmed media reports that the military is investigating several incidents in which civilians were victims of Israeli shelling near the centers.
Soldiers have fired live rounds in the past when people have approached the distribution centers outside of the designated routes or outside of opening hours and posed a threat to the soldiers, wrote the Times of Israel. A "small number of people" were killed, it said, citing Israel's army. In three cases, the military also fired artillery. There were 30 to 40 casualties, including "several dead". The army spoke of "inaccurate artillery fire" that was not intended as an attack on civilians.
Israel's army did not confirm the details of the report when asked. Investigations were carried out following reports of casualties. Operational forces had received instructions based on the findings. The army did not provide any details. According to the Times of Israel, the Israeli military stopped firing in the vicinity of the distribution centers after the incidents. The GHF centers are operated by private American security companies. The wider area surrounding the centers is to be secured by Israeli units.
Palestinians: around 550 dead near the distribution centers
According to Palestinian reports, around 550 Palestinians have been killed in the vicinity of the GHF distribution centers since they opened at the end of May. The figures published by the authorities in Gaza regarding casualties at the centers are exaggerated, the "Times of Israel" quoted the Israeli army as saying. The information provided by both sides cannot be independently verified at present.
Israel brought the GHF centers into play after a total blockade of the Gaza Strip that lasted for weeks in order to circumvent the distribution of aid by the UN and other organizations. According to Israel, most of the aid that reaches the coastal area through these organizations is stolen by Hamas. However, there is no evidence of systematic theft of this aid by the terrorist organization.
