Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with US President Donald Trump, marking the first visit by a foreign leader to the newly inaugurated US president. The duo is expected to discuss the delicate ceasefire in Gaza.
Following Mr. Trump’s assertion that he played a key role in brokering the Israel-Hamas ceasefire after over 15 months of conflict, he is anticipated to encourage his ally to adhere to the agreement, though some details remain unresolved.
In a potentially promising development, Israel announced just hours before the White House meeting that it would dispatch a team to mediator Qatar to discuss the second phase of the agreement, which could pave the way for a more enduring resolution to the conflict.
The Palestinian group Hamas confirmed that talks for the second phase had commenced, with spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanou highlighting the focus on “shelter, relief, and reconstruction” for the war-torn Gaza Strip.
Nevertheless, both parties have categorically rejected his proposal, as have the local residents of the territory.
As part of the ceasefire, Palestinian militant groups and Israel have initiated the exchange of hostages held in Gaza for prisoners in Israeli detention.
The conflict erupted when Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, taking 251 hostages into Gaza, with many confirmed dead since then.
Currently, 76 individuals remain in the Palestinian territory, including 34 individuals the Israeli military claims are deceased.
Hamas’s assault also resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people on the Israeli side, predominantly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli data.
Israel’s retaliatory actions have claimed at least 47,518 lives in Gaza, the majority of whom are civilians, as reported by the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled area.
The UN deems these figures credible.
Families demand information
Families of the Israeli hostages are imploring all parties to uphold the agreement so that their loved ones can be released.
Relatives of the youngest hostages, Ariel and Kfir Bibas, pleaded yesterday for any updates regarding the two boys and their mother, Shiri, after their father Yarden Bibas was freed in the recent exchange.
“Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir, we miss you dearly and await your return,” stated Ofri Bibas, Yarden’s sister.
Before departing for Washington, Mr. Netanyahu remarked that Israel’s conflicts with Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and its confrontations with Iran since October 2023 have “redrawn the map” of the Middle East.
“I believe that by collaborating closely with President Trump, we can further reshape it, and for the better,” he stated.
Mr. Trump, who prides himself on his negotiation skills, may look to provide Mr. Netanyahu with incentives to adhere to the ceasefire, possibly including a normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia.
Previous efforts under Mr. Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, to achieve normalization halted amidst the Gaza conflict, and Saudi Arabia has recently taken a firmer stance, insisting there would be no agreements without a Palestinian state.
On Sunday, Mr. Trump mentioned that discussions with Israel and other Middle Eastern nations were “progressing,” while cautioning that he had “no assurances” and “no guarantees” regarding the durability of the ceasefire in Gaza.
The US president’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who met Mr. Netanyahu yesterday to discuss the terms for the second phase of the ceasefire, expressed that he was “certainly hopeful.”
The UN aid agency UNRWA has alerted that the refugee camp in Jenin is ‘heading toward a catastrophic situation.’
Violence in the West Bank
Since the ceasefire commenced on January 19, Israel has redirected its attention to the occupied West Bank, initiating a deadly operation in the Jenin area, known for its Palestinian militancy.
UNRWA, which is now banned in Israel, warned that the Jenin refugee camp is “spiraling into a catastrophic state.”
“Significant portions of the camp have been entirely destroyed due to multiple detonations by Israeli forces. It’s estimated that 100 houses have been obliterated or severely damaged,” stated UNRWA spokeswoman Juliette Touma.
The Israeli military reported that a gunman killed two Israeli soldiers during an assault on a military post in Tayasir, situated south of the Jenin area in the northern West Bank. The assailant was also killed.
When asked his perspective on a potential annexation of the West Bank, Mr. Trump did not dismiss the idea, telling reporters that Israel is “a small country in terms of land.”
“It’s a relatively small piece of land. It’s remarkable what they’ve accomplished,” he commented.
Under the ongoing 42-day first phase of the Gaza ceasefire, Hamas was expected to release 33 hostages in staggered waves in exchange for roughly 1,900 Palestinians incarcerated in Israeli prisons.
Four hostage-prisoner exchanges have already occurred, with militants releasing 18 hostages in exchange for about 600 predominantly Palestinian prisoners from Israeli detention.
This ceasefire has also led to a significant influx of food, fuel, medical supplies, and other forms of aid into Gaza, allowing those displaced by the conflict to return to the northern regions of the territory.
