Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump held a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, August 14, discussing the Gaza ceasefire and a potential hostage release deal, according to a report by Axios citing two U.S. sources.
One source indicated that Trump’s intention in the call was to encourage Netanyahu to accept the deal, though it was unclear if this was explicitly conveyed during the conversation. The Trump campaign did not immediately provide a comment when asked.
Recently, Netanyahu visited the United States, where he met with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, who is also a Democratic presidential candidate, and former President Trump.
Egypt, the United States, and Qatar have planned a new round of negotiations on the Gaza ceasefire for Thursday. On May 31, President Biden proposed a three-phase ceasefire plan. Since then, Washington and regional mediators have been attempting to arrange a ceasefire-for-hostages agreement, though they have encountered repeated challenges.
Hamas announced on Wednesday that it would not participate in the upcoming ceasefire talks scheduled for Thursday in Qatar. However, an official familiar with the negotiations mentioned that mediators still expected to consult with the Palestinian Islamist group afterward.
The United States, Israel’s key ally, has emphasized that a ceasefire in Gaza could help mitigate the growing risk of a broader conflict in the Middle East.
The possibility of a wider war has increased following the recent killings of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut, both of which prompted threats of retaliation against Israel.
The latest wave of violence in the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict began on October 7 when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, resulting in 1,200 deaths and approximately 250 hostages, according to Israeli reports.
In response, Israel’s offensive in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip has led to nearly 40,000 Palestinian deaths, as reported by the local health ministry, displaced almost the entire population of 2.3 million, triggered a hunger crisis, and sparked genocide allegations at the World Court, which Israel denies.
