The meeting between the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday focused on efforts to release hostages held in Gaza, Netanyahu said.
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign has said that as of June 22, “50 hostages are still being held in captivity in Gaza. Of these, 49 were abducted on October 7 [2023] and one hostage (Hadar Goldin) has been held in Gaza since 2014.”
Before departing for Washington, Netanyahu stated that 20 hostages are still alive.
Speaking at the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff said a cease-fire agreement is expected to be reached by the end of this week.
“We are hopeful that by the end of this week, we’ll have an agreement that will bring us into a 60-day cease-fire. Ten live hostages will be released. Nine deceased will be released,” Witkoff told reporters at the cabinet meeting.
The Israeli prime minister said that opportunities are opening to expand peace efforts and broaden the Abraham Accords.
Netanyahu Nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize
Netanyahu said he expressed the appreciation of the Israeli citizens to Trump for his support and the joint effort to bring a “great future for the Middle East and a great future for the State of Israel.”
“He’s forging peace, as we speak, in one country, in one region after the other,“ the Israeli leader said. ”So I want to present to you, Mr. President, the letter I sent to the Nobel Prize committee. It’s nominating you for the peace prize, which is well-deserved, and you should get it.”
Accepting the letter, Trump expressed his surprise and gratitude, adding that coming from Netanyahu in particular, it was very meaningful.
The conflict in Gaza began in October 2023, when Hamas-led terrorists launched an attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and resulted in the abduction of 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
In response, Israel launched a military campaign that has, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, killed more than 57,000 Palestinians and caused widespread destruction across Gaza. The numbers do not distinguish between combatants and civilians, and cannot be independently verified.
Displacement, Relocation Proposal
The fighting has caused the displacement of Gaza’s more than 2 million residents.
An estimated 40,000 Palestinians were displaced from three refugee camps in Jenin and Tulkarem, following heavily militarised Israeli operations in the northern West Bank since January 2025.
Speaking to reporters, Katz outlined a plan to establish a camp in the southern Gaza Strip, on the ruins of Rafah, The Times of Israel reported.
The initial phase would house about 600,000 Palestinians following security screenings, the report said.
Israeli officials said the objective is to separate civilians from Hamas, with plans to later offer Palestinians the option to emigrate.
