Hope for Israel-Hamas ceasefire? Netanyahu to visit US next week to meet Trump - What we know

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be meeting US President Donald Trump and other administration officials next week, according to US officials. This comes as the White House pushes Israel and Hamas for a hostage and ceasefire deal.

A senior US administration official, while speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed Netanyahu's visit, but noted that it has not yet been formally announced.

Moreover, the meeting is aimed at advancing discussions on a ceasefire agreement and a possible hostage deal in Gaza.

Earlier on Sunday, Trump took to Truth Social, stressing to get the hostages back. "MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!"

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Trump administration was in constant communication with the Israeli government for the hostage and ceasefire deal.

Leavitt said that Trump viewed ending the war in Gaza and returning the remaining hostages held by Hamas as a top priority. “It's heartbreaking to see the images that have come out from both Israel and Gaza throughout this war, and the President wants to see it end. He wants to save lives,” she said.

She added that the discussions were ongoing to arrange Netanyahu's visit to Washington, although the date had not been officially confirmed.

This comes after the Israel-Iran war ended in 12 days after Trump announced the ceasefire. Since then, Trump has shifted his focus to the ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas, raising concerns over their ceasefire.

“We think within the next week we're going to get a ceasefire,” Trump told reporters on Friday, but, he did not provide further details about the negotiations or timeline.

According to Israeli officials, 1219 people were killed in the attack,, most of them civilians, according to AFP.

Meanwhile, according to the Hamas health ministry, at least 56,531 people have been killed so far, with most of them also being civilians.