Trump confirms 2nd meet tonight with PM to discuss Gaza; Witkoff: We hope for deal by week’s end

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump confirms that he will be meeting again with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tonight in order to discuss efforts to secure a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.

“We’re going to be talking about… almost exclusively Gaza,” Trump tells reporters during a cabinet meeting.

“We’ve got to get that solved. Gaza is a tragedy. And [Netanyahu] wants to get it solved, and I want to get it solved, and I think the other side wants to get it solved,” he adds, apparently referring to Hamas before asking US special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff to weigh in.

Witkoff says that three of the four remaining issues have been resolved since the ongoing proximity talks in Doha were started on Sunday.

“We are hopeful that by the end of this week, we will have an agreement that will bring us into a 60-day ceasefire,” Witkoff says.

He says that the deal will secure the release of 10 living hostages along with the bodies of nine slain hostages. Witkoff appears to have accidentally halved the number of bodies slated for release, given that the proposal on the table speaks of 18 bodies being freed.

“We’re meeting at the president’s direction, with all the hostage families to let them know, and we think this will lead to a lasting peace in Gaza,” Witkoff says.