Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected to discuss a possible ceasefire deal with Hamas when he met with President Trump on Tuesday.
“We have still to finish the job in Gaza, release all our hostages, eliminate and destroy Hamas’ military,” Netanyahu said speaking to reporters in the Capitol following a private meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson. “And governance capabilities, because Gaza must have different future for our sake, for everyone’s sake, and no country will settle for less. We certainly will not. These are all things that I discussed with President Trump. I may discuss further with him later in this visit.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Speaker Mike Johnson meet at the U.S. Capitol, July 08, 2025 in Washington.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
At the State Department, spokesperson Tammy Bruce repeatedly expressed optimism that a ceasefire deal would be reached “by the end of the week” — but didn’t say exactly when or exactly what gave the administration confidence in that timeline.
“We are hopeful that by the end of this week we’ll have an agreement that brings us to 60-day ceasefire,” she said, echoing Trump’s Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller and Shannon Kingston
