Axios reported that U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday to discuss the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the release of prisoners. A source told Axios that the aim of Trump's call was to encourage Netanyahu to accept the agreement, but noted that it is unclear if that was actually what the former president conveyed to Netanyahu. Trump's campaign has not yet responded to a request for comment.
At the end of last month, Netanyahu visited the United States and met with President Joe Biden, Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, and Trump. Egypt, the United States, and Qatar have set Thursday for a new round of ceasefire negotiations in Gaza. Biden proposed a three-phase ceasefire plan in a speech delivered on May 31. Since then, Washington and regional mediators have been trying to arrange a ceasefire deal in exchange for the return of prisoners, but they have faced repeated obstacles.
Hamas announced on Wednesday that it would not participate in the new round of ceasefire talks in Gaza scheduled for Thursday in Qatar, but an official familiar with the discussions said that mediators expect to consult with the movement afterward. Washington, Israel's key ally, stated that a ceasefire in Gaza would limit the potential expansion of the war in the Middle East.
