US President Donald Trump is reportedly pressuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a two-to-three-week deadline to bring the war in Gaza to an end, according to reports on Thursday.
The Israeli daily newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Trump’s patience is wearing thin behind the scenes, and he is pushing for a swift conclusion to the Israeli military offensive that has devastated the Palestinian enclave.
Despite Netanyahu's remarks following his White House meeting with the US leader on Monday- in which he claimed Trump praised his handling of the ongoing efforts to secure the release of the remaining 59 captives in Gaza- Yedioth Ahronoth suggested that Trump’s private concerns about Netanyahu’s approach have led him to press for a comprehensive agreement to be finalised within three weeks.
This deal would reportedly aim to secure the release of all Israeli captives held by Hamas and bring the war to a permanent end.
The paper further reported that the families of the captives have been informed that the Trump administration is working on a new proposal.
Yedioth Ahronoth added: "The Americans are pressing for a hostage deal as part of a broader Middle East initiative aimed at ending the war in Gaza and, subsequently, normalising relations with Saudi Arabia."
It also noted that ongoing US-Iran nuclear discussions are part of the plan and are not considered a separate issue.
This latest development comes after Trump stated on Thursday that his negotiators “are getting close” to securing the return of captives.
He said progress was being made on brokering a ceasefire agreement, though he did not disclose further details.
According to The Jerusalem Post, which cited unnamed Israeli officials, there has also been "some movement" from the Palestinian side on Thursday regarding negotiations.
Talks are ongoing between Israel and key mediators Egypt and the US.
However, Gaza’s ruling group Hamas has not yet received the proposed agreement, according to the Post, as there is reportedly no current indication of their stance on the matter.
Israeli broadcaster Kan reported on Friday that both Israel and Egypt have exchanged proposals concerning a potential ceasefire agreement.
The aim appears to be to reconcile differences between Egypt’s compromise initiative and a draft deal proposed by top US diplomat Steve Witkoff.
The Egyptian plan reportedly includes the release of eight living hostages along with the remains of eight others, in return for a ceasefire lasting between 40 and 70 days, as well as the release of a substantial number of Palestinian captives.
Separately, Witkoff’s proposal from last month is said to have involved a two-month ceasefire in exchange for the release of five hostages and a large number of Palestinian detainees.
According to The Times of Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu consequently held a security assessment on Thursday with senior officials and negotiators focused on the ceasefire-captive exchange deal.
His office also confirmed a meeting in Jerusalem with the families of two hostages- Elkana Bohbot and Rom Braslavski- during which it was affirmed that negotiations for their release were ongoing.
On 7 October 2023, Hamas launched an attack in southern Israel that killed approximately 1,200 people and took around 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
Since then, over 50,800 Palestinians have been killed during Israel’s military offensive, according to figures from Palestinian authorities.