Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump engaged in a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday to discuss the ongoing Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal. According to Axios, which cited two US sources, Trump's call aimed to encourage Netanyahu to consider the deal. However, specifics of what Trump communicated to Netanyahu remain unclear, and the Trump campaign has not yet provided a comment on the discussion.
Earlier last month, Netanyahu traveled to the United States where he met with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Donald Trump. The recent conversation between Trump and Netanyahu appears to be part of ongoing efforts by various international actors to negotiate a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
Negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire have been scheduled for Thursday, involving key regional and international players, including Egypt, the United States, and Qatar. This new round of talks follows a three-phase ceasefire proposal outlined by President Biden on May 31. Despite these efforts, achieving a comprehensive ceasefire has proven challenging due to various obstacles and disagreements.
Hamas, the militant group that governs Gaza, has announced that it will not participate in the upcoming ceasefire talks in Qatar. However, mediators involved in the negotiations plan to consult with Hamas representatives afterward. The refusal of Hamas to engage in talks at this stage has raised concerns about the potential for continued violence and instability in the region.
The situation in Gaza remains dire, with the United States emphasizing that a ceasefire could mitigate the risk of a broader conflict in the Middle East. Recent escalations, including the targeted killings of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut, have heightened fears of wider regional retaliation against Israel.
The current violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict erupted on October 7, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel that resulted in approximately 1,200 Israeli fatalities and about 250 hostages taken. In response, Israel has conducted extensive military operations against the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, resulting in nearly 40,000 Palestinian deaths according to local health sources. The ongoing conflict has also displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza, contributing to a severe humanitarian crisis marked by widespread hunger and allegations of genocide against Israel at the World Court, which Israel firmly denies.
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