Location at a glance: Trump hopes for Gaza deal this week – meeting with Netanyahu

US President Donald Trump hopes for a deal for a ceasefire and the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip this week. “I think we are about to get to Gaza. We could make it this week,” said the Republican to journalists on Sunday (local time). He will meet Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House this evening at 6.30 p.m. local time (00.30 CEST/Tuesday), as the US government confirmed. Shortly before his departure to Washington, Netanyahu confirmed his rejection of any agreement, which would lead to the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Before his conversation with Netanyahu, Trump confidently commented on the release of further hostages with Hamas. “We think we can do it this week.” According to media reports, the recent proposal by the intermediary Qatar provides for the release of ten hostages in exchange against Palestinian prisoners for a ceasefire, which was initially limited to 60 days. According to Israeli knowledge, at least 20 hostages recorded in Gaza are still alive. The status of two kidnapping victims is unclear. In addition, there are 28 bodies.

Netanyahu: Hamas will no longer exist

“We are working on bringing the much -discussed deal to the conditions we have agreed,” said Netanyahu before his departure. Shortly before, after changes to Katar’s proposal, he had described Hamas as “unacceptable”, but still sent a delegation to new indirect discussions about a deal in the Qatarian capital Doha. “I think the conversation with President Trump can definitely help to advance the result that we all hope,” he said.

He was determined to realize three goals, said Netanyahu: to bring all hostages home, the living like the dead; to switch off the military and administrative skills of Hamas and to banish the terrorist organization from the Gaza Strip; And to ensure that the coastal strip is no longer a threat to Israel. “Hamas will no longer exist,” Netanyahu emphasized before departure to Washington.

Iran also topic in Washington

It is already his third meeting with US President Trump in six months. Together with Qatar and Egypt, the allies act as an intermediary between Israel and Hamas, as they do not talk to each other directly. Less than two weeks ago, a war of Iran culminated in a ceasefire after twelve days. In the course of the war, Israel and the United States bombed central facilities of the Iranian nuclear program.

Israel founded the war with the threat of Iran’s nuclear program. Western governments fear that Tehran is striving for nuclear weapons. The Iranian leadership rejects this. The successful air strikes in Iran made it possible to “expand the circle of peace far beyond what we were able to imagine earlier,” said Israel’s head of government.

The changed realities would bring Israel and the entire Middle East a “big future,” said Netanyahu before he departed to the United States. Meanwhile, Trump said in Washington: “We are working with Israel on many things, and one of them is probably a permanent agreement with Iran”.

Israel’s Air Force bombed destinations in Yemen

Meanwhile, Israel’s Air Force, according to her own, attacked military facilities of the Huthi militia allied with Iran at night. The goals are the ports of Ras Issa, Hudaida and Salif in the west of the country, the army announced on Telegram. The ports would be used by the Huthi to transport weapons from Iran for terrorist operations against Israel and its allies. The “Galaxy Leader” merchant ship, which was hijacked by the Huthi in November 2023, was also hit in Ras Issa. The militia installed a radar system on the ship to pursue ships in international maritime traffic for terrorist attacks.

The Ras Kanatib power plant near the capital Sanaa was also attacked, the Israeli army continued to say. “As I warned, Yemen is treated like (the Iranian capital) Tehran,” said Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz. “Anyone who tries to harm Israel will be damaged that everyone who raises his hand against Israel will lose her,” wrote Katz on Telegram. Shortly afterwards the sirens howled in Israel. The air defense was activated to intercept two rockets fired from Yemen, said the army in the morning.

Gaza war lasts 21 months

Since the beginning of the Gaza War in October 2023, the Huthi Israel has repeatedly attacked with rockets and drones – according to their own statements as an expression of their solidarity with Hamas in Gaza. The trigger of the Gaza War, which has been going on for 21 months now, was the attack by Hamas and other Islamist organizations to Israel on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were delayed to Gaza as hostages.

Since then, according to the health authority controlled by the Hamas, more than 57,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed. The number that is barely verifiable does not differentiate between civilians and fighters.