A day after their first meeting in Washington, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump have begun their second meeting within 24 hours. The meeting was scheduled outside the official itinerary.
According to a report by Sky News, Trump is applying "heavy" pressure on Netanyahu to bring the war in Gaza to an end. The report, based on two sources close to the negotiations, came just hours before the White House meeting and as hostage deal talks continue in Doha.
One source told the network, "US pressure on Israel has begun, and tonight it will be heavy." A second Middle Eastern diplomatic source agreed, saying the pressure would be "intense."
Earlier Tuesday, just hours before his second meeting with Trump, Netanyahu delivered a special statement to the media from the US Congress. He addressed recent developments in the ongoing negotiations in Qatar and the deaths of five Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu referenced the 50 hostages still held in captivity and declared he had no intention of abandoning them. "Twenty of the remaining hostages are alive, maybe one or two more," he said.
