Posted on 07/21/25
| News Source: Arutz-7
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Monday that President Donald Trump is seeking to broker a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, emphasizing his desire to bring an end to the violence.
"The president never likes to see that. He wants the killing to end, and he wants to negotiate a ceasefire in this region," Leavitt told reporters, adding that the war has become "quite brutal," particularly in recent days, with reports of rising casualties.
She added that securing the release of all hostages held in Gaza remains a central concern for President Trump.
"That has been a top priority for this president," stressed Leavitt.
Pressed on whether Trump had expressed frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following recent IDF strikes in Gaza, she noted Trump’s relationship with Netanyahu.
“The president enjoys a good working relationship with Netanyahu and stays in frequent communication with him,” said Leavitt, adding, “He was caught off guard by the bombing in Syria and also by the bombing of the Catholic church in Gaza. In both cases, the president quickly called the prime minister to rectify those situations.”
Her comments come amid recent indications that a deal for a ceasefire and hostage release between Israel and Hamas is close. However, while talks in Doha have been ongoing in recent weeks, no agreement has yet been reached.
Trump on Friday night announced that an additional release of ten hostages from Gaza is expected soon, though he did not provide specific timelines.
He made the remarks during a dinner with lawmakers at the White House, where he praised the efforts of his special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
On Sunday, Israeli officials estimated that Hamas will return a positive answer to the new proposed IDF troop deployment in the Gaza Strip in return for a hostage deal.
A source involved in the talks told Kan News that "we can reach the long-awaited breakthrough for a deal within a few days."
The new deployment maps that Israel presented to Hamas include significant flexibility for Israel. Among the issues that Israel agreed to concede on are the redrawing of the Morag Corridor and a change to the troop deployment in Gaza.
A senior military official stated, "I hope that this week we'll have a deal. The IDF recommends to the political echelon to reach a deal, there is a great desire on both sides."