Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in Washington on Tuesday that Israel has accepted a proposal put forward by international mediators regarding the conflict in Gaza. Speaking after a meeting with US House Speaker Mike Johnson at Capitol Hill, Netanyahu said the offer aligns with terms previously outlined by US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.
“We must complete the job in Gaza—free our hostages and destroy Hamas’ capabilities because Gaza must have a different future. No country would accept less,” Netanyahu said. He added that the mediated plan is “a good proposal” and emphasized, “The less I speak about it in public, the better.”
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Netanyahu’s visit included meetings with several top US officials, including President Donald Trump, who confirmed they would meet again Tuesday evening at the White House. “We will talk about Gaza,” said the US president.
Envoy Steve Witkoff provided an update on the ongoing talks aimed at securing a temporary ceasefire and hostage release. He said the discussions with representatives from Israel and Hamas are in the “proximity talks” stage and that negotiators have narrowed the agenda to a single remaining issue. “We had four issues on the agenda, and now we’re down to one,” Witkoff said during a cabinet meeting with Trump.
Witkoff expressed optimism that an agreement could be reached soon, saying, “We are meeting with all the families of hostages under Trump’s direction to update them, and we think this will lead to peace in Gaza.” He said a 60-day ceasefire could be finalized by the end of the week.
According to Netanyahu, Israel has already secured the release of 250 hostages, believes 20 remain alive, and is seeking to recover the remains of 30 deceased captives.