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Netanyahu Meets Trump at White House as Israel, Hamas Discuss Ceasefire

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, is greeted by President Donald Trump as he arrives at the West Wing of the White House in Washington, April 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, is greeted by President Donald Trump as he arrives at the West Wing of the White House in Washington, April 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP)
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Netanyahu Meets Trump at White House as Israel, Hamas Discuss Ceasefire

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, is greeted by President Donald Trump as he arrives at the West Wing of the White House in Washington, April 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, is greeted by President Donald Trump as he arrives at the West Wing of the White House in Washington, April 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP)

President Donald Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for White House talks on Monday, while Israeli officials held indirect negotiations with Hamas aimed at securing a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal.

Netanyahu's visit follows Trump's prediction, on the eve of their meeting, that such an agreement could be reached this week. Before heading to Washington, the right-wing Israeli leader said his discussions with Trump could help advance negotiations under way in Qatar between Israel and the Palestinian group.

It was Trump's third face-to-face encounter with Netanyahu since returning to office in January, and came just over two weeks after the president ordered the bombing of Iranian nuclear sites in support of Israeli air strikes. Trump then helped arrange a ceasefire in the 12-day Israel-Iran war.

Trump and his aides appeared to be trying to seize on any momentum created by the weakening of Iran, which backs Hamas, to push both sides for a breakthrough in the 21-month Gaza war.

He said he also wants to discuss with Netanyahu the prospects for a "permanent deal" with Iran, Israel's regional arch-foe.

The two leaders were scheduled to have a private dinner instead of formal talks in the Oval Office, where the president usually greets visiting dignitaries. It was not immediately clear why Trump was taking a lower-key approach with Netanyahu this time.

After arriving overnight in Washington, Netanyahu met earlier on Monday with Trump’s Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in preparation for his talks with the president. He planned to visit the US Capitol on Tuesday to see congressional leaders.

Ahead of the visit, Netanyahu told reporters he would thank Trump for the US air strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, and said Israeli negotiators were driving for a deal on Gaza in Doha, Qatar's capital.

Israeli officials also hope the outcome of the conflict with Iran will pave the way for normalization of relations with more of its neighbors such as Lebanon and Syria, another issue expected to be on the agenda with Trump.

SECOND DAY OF QATAR TALKS

Witkoff, who played a major role in crafting the 60-day ceasefire proposal at the center of the Qatar negotiations, will travel to Doha this week to join discussions there, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday.

In a sign of continued gaps between the two sides, Palestinian sources said Israel's refusal to allow the free and safe entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza remains the main obstacle to progress in the indirect talks. Israel insists it is taking steps to get food into Gaza but seeks to prevent Hamas from diverting supplies.

On the second day of negotiations, mediators hosted one round and talks were expected to resume in the evening, the Palestinian sources told Reuters.

The US-backed proposal envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals from parts of Gaza and discussions on ending the war entirely.

Hamas has long demanded a final end to the war before it would free remaining hostages; Israel has insisted it would not agree to halt fighting until all hostages are released and Hamas dismantled.

Trump told reporters last week that he would be “very firm” with Netanyahu on the need for a speedy Gaza deal and that the Israeli leader also wanted to end the war.

Some of Netanyahu's hardline coalition partners oppose halting military operations but, with Israelis having become increasingly weary of the Gaza war, his government is expected to back a ceasefire if he can secure acceptable terms.

A ceasefire at the start of this year collapsed in March, and talks to revive it have so far been fruitless. Meanwhile, Israel has intensified its military campaign in Gaza and sharply restricted food distribution.

Gazans were watching closely for any sign of a breakthrough. “I ask God almighty that the negotiating delegation or the mediators pressure with all their strength to solve this issue, because it has totally became unbearable,” said Abu Suleiman Qadoum, a displaced resident of Gaza city.

The Gaza war erupted when Hamas attacked southern Israel in October 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with 20 believed to be alive.

Israel's retaliatory war in Gaza has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, according to the enclave's health ministry. Most of Gaza's population has been displaced by the war and nearly half a million people are facing famine within months, according to United Nations estimates.

Trump has been strongly supportive of Netanyahu, even wading into domestic Israeli politics last month by lashing out at prosecutors over a corruption trial against the Israeli leader on bribery, fraud and breach-of-trust charges that Netanyahu denies.

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Arab World

Gaza Welcomes US Election Results With Reservations

Palestinians receive food distributed by the World Food Program in Gaza on Wednesday (AP)
Palestinians receive food distributed by the World Food Program in Gaza on Wednesday (AP)
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Gaza Welcomes US Election Results With Reservations

Palestinians receive food distributed by the World Food Program in Gaza on Wednesday (AP)
Palestinians receive food distributed by the World Food Program in Gaza on Wednesday (AP)

Political factions in Gaza watched the US midterm elections as closely as Israel's, but were divided over what the results could mean for Palestinians.

Some welcomed the Republicans' loss of their majorities in both the House of Representatives and Senate under President Donald Trump as a victory for the Palestinian cause. Others were more cautious, arguing that the results would do little to ease the crises gripping the war-battered enclave.

Neither Fatah nor Hamas, nor any other Palestinian faction in Gaza, publicly commented on the US congressional midterm results. But their affiliated media outlets closely tracked the vote, highlighting the success of candidates of Arab and Muslim descent.

Among them was Dr. Adam Hamawy, who won a House seat representing New Jersey after having worked in Gaza during the Israeli war that followed the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.

Munther al-Hayek, Fatah's spokesman in Gaza, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the war had featured prominently in the midterm campaigns and that the current US administration's stance on the Palestinian territories had cost Republicans votes.

"The current US administration's negative positions toward the situation in the Palestinian territories influenced voters, contributing to the Republicans' clear defeat," Hayek said.

"Everyone who supported Palestine and stood by its people, particularly Gaza, whose plight featured in most campaign speeches by its supporters, achieved clearly positive results," he added.

Hamas leaders, including spokesman Hazem Qassem, took a more guarded approach, declining to comment officially.

In October 2025, Hamas accepted a Trump-proposed plan to end the Gaza war. Israel, however, has yet to withdraw from the positions it occupies in the enclave as required under the agreement and continues to carry out targeted killings of Hamas members.

A senior Hamas official based in Turkey, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, played down expectations of any meaningful shift.

"The election results will change nothing fundamental for Palestinians, particularly Gaza residents, but could offer some hope of curbing the overwhelming US support for Israel's attacks on the enclave," the official said.

He also cautioned against overlooking the Democrats' role in the war.

"We must remember that the Democratic Party, represented by former President Joe Biden's administration, was the first to support the ongoing war and was unable to impose any solutions on Benjamin Netanyahu's government, unlike Trump, who later managed to do so despite his unwavering support for Israel," he said.

For many ordinary Palestinians in Gaza, the distinction between Republicans and Democrats is narrow, according to Gaza-based writer and political analyst Mustafa Ibrahim.

"Most Palestinians outside the political factions, particularly in Gaza, believe both parties support Israeli policies, with only minor differences on certain issues," Ibrahim told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He said it was too early to gauge the elections' impact on Gaza, noting that newly elected lawmakers would not be sworn in or take office for another two months.

In the meantime, Ibrahim said, Trump could press Israel to accelerate measures sought by the Board of Peace in Gaza, including the entry of the national committee tasked with administering the enclave.

But he saw little prospect of major progress, citing Israel's political deadlock following its own elections.

Ibrahim also doubted that Democratic lawmakers could exert significant influence, drive rapid change, or deliver major breakthroughs in US policy toward the Palestinian cause.

Arab World

Yemeni Govt Forces Regain Initiative Against Houthis

A Yemeni government military vehicle storms a Houthi position in Al-Jawf. (Military Media)
A Yemeni government military vehicle storms a Houthi position in Al-Jawf. (Military Media)
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Yemeni Govt Forces Regain Initiative Against Houthis

A Yemeni government military vehicle storms a Houthi position in Al-Jawf. (Military Media)
A Yemeni government military vehicle storms a Houthi position in Al-Jawf. (Military Media)

Yemeni government forces seized strategic positions in the Lahj and Al-Jawf provinces on Wednesday, beating back Houthi attacks and infiltration attempts as fighting intensified across several fronts and the group fired ballistic missiles to support its embattled fighters.

Clashes continued along the Bab al-Mandeb front, where government troops pressed an offensive to dislodge Houthi fighters from their last remaining pockets around the strategic strait.

Field sources said government troops, backed by the Giants Brigades, Nation's Shield forces and the National Resistance, recaptured positions in Al-Maqatirah district in northern Lahj and thwarted Houthi advances toward Tur al-Baha and Al-Mudaribah.

Fighting spread to areas bordering the two districts, while government forces pressed ahead with offensive operations in the eastern Al-Jawf province.

In Taiz, government forces held their defensive positions despite a continuing Houthi siege, with clashes persisting on the city's southern and eastern fronts. The Houthis suffered casualties and equipment losses, particularly around the city.

In the latest advance, the Southern Giants Brigades and Nation's Shield forces said they had seized the strategic Jabal al-Sabaa Roqud position in Al-Maqatirah, driving out Houthi fighters and snipers after clashes.

The position overlooks Wadi Maabaq and commands sections of the vital Aden-Al-Turbah road through Tur al-Baha, giving government forces greater control over supply routes and troop movements while reducing the threat of Houthi sniper fire, according to military assessments.

The advance coincided with airstrikes on Houthi positions on Jabal Araf.

Local resistance fighters, backed by government fighters, also foiled a Houthi infiltration attempt deeper into Tur al-Baha.

On the Al-Maqatirah front, fierce clashes continued near the boundary with Al-Mudaribah, where National Resistance forces and local fighters repelled Houthi attempts to seize several positions, field sources said.

Southeast of Taiz city, fighting erupted along the Kahlan and Dabbah front after Houthi fighters tried to infiltrate residential neighborhoods.

Army troops and local resistance fighters ambushed the attackers, killing and wounding several of them, according to the 35th Armored Brigade's media office.

The National Resistance's military media office also reported heavy Houthi casualties and destroyed military vehicles after government forces repelled the attacks.

Government forces push forward in Al-Jawf

In the Al-Jawf province, government troops expanded their offensive east of Al-Hazm, capturing military positions in Al-Duhaida, Mulayfiyah and surrounding areas after fighting broke out before dawn.

Clashes continued as troops pushed toward the Al-Duhaiza mountains.

Field sources said government forces were clearing recaptured positions of landmines, explosive devices and fortifications left behind by retreating Houthi fighters.

The clearance operations slowed their advance despite continued ground assaults and air support.

The Yemeni Armed Forces' media center said warplanes and drones struck Houthi fortifications, troop concentrations and weapons depots, destroying several military vehicles.

Houthis fire ballistic missiles at military positions

The Houthis stepped up ballistic missile attacks in Lahj and Al-Dhale provinces in an effort to support fighters along the front lines.

Field sources said the group fired two ballistic missiles toward the Al-Maqatirah front and Tur al-Baha.

The sources said the Houthis had installed launch platforms on high ground in the district, using them as forward positions to target government troop concentrations and supply routes.

The attack came as fighting continued across Al-Dhale, where the Houthis have sought a breakthrough by striking military camps and troop concentrations after failing to advance along the front lines.

Meanwhile, government forces pressed operations along the Bab al-Mandeb front, seeking to clear remaining Houthi pockets from scattered positions around the strait.

1,208 strikes

Yemen's armed forces said they carried out 1,208 strikes against Houthi positions and movements on Tuesday under Operation Dawn of Yemen, targeting troop concentrations, reinforcements, fortifications, firing positions and military vehicles.

The operations involved warplanes, drones, field artillery and rocket launchers.

Armed Forces spokesman Colonel Majed al-Nuzaili said the strikes had neutralized about 370 Houthi commanders and fighters and destroyed or disabled roughly 120 military vehicles and pieces of equipment across multiple fronts.

Al-Nuzaili said army troops and local resistance fighters had captured positions along several fronts in Taiz and repelled Houthi attempts to retake them, while airstrikes hit the group's troop concentrations and equipment.

He said strikes were continuing in Marib, Al-Jawf and the southern and western sectors as government forces sought to weaken Houthi combat capabilities and reclaim positions still under the group's control.

Arab World

Red Cross Delivers Essential Medical Supplies to Yemen’s Besieged Taiz City

Internally displaced people transport mattresses they received from a charity in the southwestern city of Taiz, Yemen October 29, 2026. (Reuters)
Internally displaced people transport mattresses they received from a charity in the southwestern city of Taiz, Yemen October 29, 2026. (Reuters)
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Red Cross Delivers Essential Medical Supplies to Yemen’s Besieged Taiz City

Internally displaced people transport mattresses they received from a charity in the southwestern city of Taiz, Yemen October 29, 2026. (Reuters)
Internally displaced people transport mattresses they received from a charity in the southwestern city of Taiz, Yemen October 29, 2026. (Reuters)

The Red Cross said on Wednesday it had delivered four truckloads of essential medical supplies to the besieged Yemeni city of Taiz after renewed fighting cut off access for weeks.

Taiz has been largely isolated for a month, with fighting preventing humanitarian supplies from entering the city and restricting the movement of civilians, after an escalation in clashes between the legitimate government and ‌the Iran-backed Houthi ‌militia.

Key supply routes, including the ‌Taiz-Aden ⁠corridor, have been blocked ⁠by Houthi militants, exacerbating shortages of water, food and fuel, while hospitals said they were under significant pressure and faced scarce medical supplies. The city hosts about half of the 300,000 people displaced across Yemen by the latest fighting, ⁠according to the UN.

The Red Cross ‌said the delivery ‌to Taiz of surgical kits to help hospitals treat patients ‌wounded in the renewed fighting was a ‌vital step in providing support to health facilities under extreme pressure since fresh hostilities began in September.

“For patients with severe injuries or critical medical conditions, regardless of ‌where they live or which side of the front line they find ⁠themselves on, ⁠timely access to medical care can be a matter of life or death,” said Christine Cipolla, the Red Cross head of delegation in Yemen.

She urged parties to the conflict to continue facilitating the safe and sustained access of humanitarian aid.

Hospitals across Yemen are struggling to cope with a sharp rise in war casualties, while intensified fighting along multiple front lines has cut off vital aid to around 800,000 people, humanitarian agencies have said.