citing an unnamed informed source, that Dermer "will arrive in Washington on Monday for talks on the war in Gaza and Netanyahu's visit, which is expected to take place in the second half of July."
Dermer's visit to Washington comes as US President Donald Trump, whose country has unwavering support for Tel Aviv, expressed his belief during a press conference on Friday that a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas could be reached within the next week.
Dermer's visit comes amid mounting US pressure to push Israel toward a ceasefire agreement with Hamas. Newsweek quoted a source familiar with the talks as saying that Trump is making great efforts to persuade Netanyahu to agree to a deal that would end the war in Gaza, include the release of all Israeli prisoners, and lead to a permanent ceasefire that would open the door to negotiations on "the future of the Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement."
On Friday, Trump said in press statements at the White House, "I often get asked about Gaza, and I've spoken with some of the people involved in the issue. The situation there (in Gaza) is horrific, and we believe that within the next week, a ceasefire will be reached."
Trump's predictions come at a time when there are no signs of progress in negotiations between Hamas and Israel. A spokesman for the office of US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said they had no information to disclose other than Trump's statements.
In the same context, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority revealed that Netanyahu held a small security meeting to discuss the Gaza file and efforts to recover the detainees. An additional meeting will be held on Saturday, amid pressure from mediators to push for indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, within the framework of the Witkoff proposal.
For its part, a poll conducted by the Hebrew newspaper Maariv indicated that 59% of Israelis support ending the war in Gaza and reaching an agreement that would return the detainees in exchange for a cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of troops, while 34% prefer continuing the war in the hope of achieving results through military pressure.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with American support, has been committing genocide in Gaza, including killing, starvation, destruction, and displacement, ignoring international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt it.
The genocide left approximately 189,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing. Hundreds of thousands were displaced, and famine claimed the lives of many, including children.
