Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived back in Israel on Friday without a ceasefire in the Gaza war, despite earlier optimism from US and Israeli officials that a breakthrough was imminent. However, his visit to Washington, his third since Donald Trump's inauguration, helped preserve his relationship with the US president through high-profile assurances that he is seeking an end to the conflict.
During the trip, Netanyahu met with Trump at the White House, nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize, and suggested that peace could be achieved within a week. Yet no clear results materialised. US envoy Steve Witkoff postponed a planned trip to Doha on Tuesday as negotiations stalled. Netanyahu repeated that a ceasefire could be announced within days, but a deal remained elusive for the more than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza.
Speaking on Newsmax, Netanyahu said: 'I hope we can complete it in a few days. We'll probably have a 60-day ceasefire. Get the first batch [of hostages] out and then use the 60 days to try to negotiate an end to this.' However, by Thursday, he insisted Israel would not compromise on its demand for Hamas to disband, stating: 'If it is not achieved through diplomacy, it will be achieved by force.'
Officials indicated that the main sticking point was the extent of an Israeli military withdrawal following the release of some hostages. The White House pushed back against an initial plan that would have left Israel with significant control zones in Gaza, which Witkoff likened to a 'Smotrich plan'. Israel reportedly revised the map to make it more acceptable. Hamas cited additional disagreements, including the future of the Gaza Humanitarian Fund and whether Israel would agree to a permanent truce.
Despite the lack of a ceasefire, Netanyahu managed to avoid a breach with Trump. The trip produced images reinforcing claims of 'no daylight' between the two leaders. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions on UN expert Francesca Albanese for urging the International Criminal Court to investigate Israeli officials over the Gaza war.
