Washington/Jerusalem – July 9, 2025 — Former President Donald Trump has increased his diplomatic efforts, pressuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end Gaza’s ongoing humanitarian catastrophe, according to attendees at their recent high-level discussions.
On July 7 and 8, Trump and Netanyahu met closely for tightly scheduled meetings at the White House to intensify talks under U.S. and regional mediation to reach a ceasefire agreement for Gaza. According to reports by Reuters, these conversations marked two consecutive days of direct engagement–both Oval Office dinner meetings as well as private sessions–with Trump urging bipartisan Israeli resolve to end what he dubbed “the hell in Gaza” [ABC News/Go.com | Reuter’s| Al Monitor].
At the Oval Office, Netanyahu underscored his dual commitment: securing hostage releases while upholding Israel’s right to defend itself. He told reporters that Israel was working towards reaching a ceasefire while military operations continue and Hamas must be neutralized.
Trump, while deepening his U.S.-Israel alliance, recently displayed growing concern for Gazan civilians and asked for immediate relief. According to an administration spokesperson, talks focused on “ending the tragedy” in Gaza — including proposing a 60-day ceasefire plan with phased hostage releases and increased humanitarian access, among other measures.
Trump and Netanyahu both stressed the importance of resolving hostage issues for any ceasefire agreement, with 10 live captives and nine deceased hostages expected to form part of a proposed prisoner exchange framework (reuters.com).
Military Pressure Vs. Truce: Israel insists the ceasefire won’t take effect until Hamas demilitarization commences; Trump, while supportive of Israel security, underscores urgency in alleviating Gazan suffering (huffingtonpost.es/+15/), cadenaser.com +15 and reuters +15 respectively
Regional Diplomacy: Trump’s approach suggests capitalizing on recent U.S.-Israel-Iran diplomacy efforts by providing support for Saudi and Egyptian mediation as well as drawing upon recent Iran-Israel deescalation efforts.
Diplomatic Momentum Building.
Indirect negotiations in Doha, led by Qatar and Egypt, appear to be progressing positively. A U.S. envoy, Steve Witkoff, expressed hope of reaching an accord this week and Hamas has responded positively, according to reports in various news sources (Wall.de/reuters.com etc).
Netanyahu signaled his trust and shared goals by nominating Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize–an unconventional act that may reward an unconventional approach to foreign diplomacy, though critics argue this gesture risks rewarding an unconventional role in foreign diplomacy, according to The Guardian’s reports.
Challenges and Outlook
While significant progress has been made towards peace in Gaza, key rifts remain: Israel demands Hamas dismantlement while Hamas, under pressure from regional players, wants firm guarantees on Israel troop withdrawal, expanded humanitarian corridors and longer term guarantees from them (As.com +2 Reuter’s +2 Wiki +2).
Analysts warn that Netanyahu faces considerable political pressure from hard-right factions opposed to compromise, while Trump may prove helpful in shifting the balance of power in Israel’s favor. Both leaders appear convinced that preventing further Gaza escalation is crucial not only for humanitarian reasons but also regional stability.
Diplomats believe that America’s diplomatic credibility and Gulf mediation could produce a preliminary ceasefire agreement. With outstanding issues regarding Hamas’ future role and civil governance in Gaza still unresolved, stabilizing the situation remains challenging.
Trump’s intensified pressure seems poised to bring both Israeli and Palestinian negotiators closer towards an accord in Washington and Doha, although time will tell whether this diplomatic momentum translates into concrete measures for ending Gaza “tragedy.”