'Think Gaza War Will Stop Soon': Donald Trump Meets Netanyahu, Says Israel Working On Hostage Deal

Last Updated:April 08, 2025, 07:18 IST

Donald Trump expressed hope for an end to the Gaza war during a meeting with Israeli PM Netanyahu, reaffirming efforts to free hostages. Trump also revived his proposal to relocate Gaza population.

Donald Trump meets Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo: Reuters)

Donald Trump on Monday held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House and said he was hopeful that the ongoing Gaza war would end soon. The two leaders also said Israel was working on a fresh hostage deal.

“I’d like to see the war stop, and I think the war will stop at some point, that won’t be in the too-distant future," the US President said when asked if he would deliver on his election campaign promise to end the war in Gaza.

He also said work was ongoing to free hostages held by Hamas, but said securing the release of all the hostages was “a long process."

Trump said having “a peace force like the United States there controlling and owning the Gaza Strip would be a good thing" and once again suggested that Palestinians from Gaza could be moved to different countries.

The statements came as Trump and Netanyahu spoke to reporters in the Oval Office after their meeting.

Soon after their meeting, Netanyahu, in an X post, shared glimpses of the talks and wrote, “President Trump has been a remarkable friend of the State of Israel. He has been a great champion of our alliance. We are working together to bring our hostages home – all of them."

Israel launched the war after Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel has so far killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities.

Following the January ceasefire that saw some hostages released, Netanyahu said, Israel was working on “another deal we hope will succeed."

“We’re committed to getting all the hostages out, but also eliminating the evil tyranny of Hamas in Gaza and enabling the people of Gaza to freely make a choice to go wherever they want," he said.

Netanyahu said he had also discussed with Trump the US President’s “bold vision" for the future of Gaza, a reference to a proposal for the US to take over the enclave that Trump put forward multiple times during the opening weeks of his administration.

Trump’s plan has been globally condemned as a proposal for ethnic cleansing.

News world 'Think Gaza War Will Stop Soon': Donald Trump Meets Netanyahu, Says Israel Working On Hostage Deal