Netanyahu leaves White House without Gaza breakthrough as ceasefire talks stall
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed the White House late Tuesday without announcing any breakthrough in Gaza ceasefire and hostage negotiations, despite back-to-back meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump over two days.
The unpublicized conclusion of the second meeting, with no joint statements or press briefings, signaled that the highly anticipated breakthrough in the Israel-Hamas negotiations had yet to materialize, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The Oval Office meeting, which also included U.S. Vice President JD Vance, lasted over an hour and was focused primarily on efforts to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza.
Optimism had briefly surged earlier in the day after the meeting was hastily added to Netanyahu’s schedule and U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, expressed confidence that a deal could be reached this week.
However, Witkoff has postponed his scheduled flight to Doha, where proximity talks between Israel and Hamas are ongoing—suggesting more work remains before a deal can be finalized. A new departure date has not yet been set.
Despite the delay, Witkoff reportedly informed mediators that he still intends to travel to the Qatari capital soon to help advance the stalled negotiations.
The fifth round of talks in Doha concluded Tuesday night without significant progress. A Palestinian official claimed discussions were at a "standstill," criticizing the Israeli delegation for "listening more than negotiating" and alleging that key decisions are being deferred to Netanyahu and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Israel’s lead negotiator in Washington.
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