As Israeli and US officials report progress in Gaza ceasefire talks, Trump calls for a deal while Israeli generals warn military goals have been exhausted.
Israeli and American sources reported signs of progress in ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, even as military operations continue and internal political tensions mount.
The developments come ahead of a high-profile visit to Washington by Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, where talks will address Gaza, Iran, and a possible visit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House.
According to the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation (KAN), Israeli sources confirmed on Saturday that progress had been made in the indirect negotiations with the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas, though they stressed that the process had not yet reached the point of dispatching a formal Israeli delegation.
The main point of contention, KAN reported, remains Hamas’s demand for concrete guarantees regarding a permanent end to the war—conditions that Israel has so far refused to accept.
Citing sources familiar with the matter, the Israeli news website Walla reported that Dermer’s upcoming visit to Washington on Monday is part of an effort to hold high-level consultations over ceasefire arrangements and regional developments, particularly involving Iran.
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The visit is also expected to coordinate logistics for Netanyahu’s anticipated visit to the United States—though this trip remains conditional on diplomatic progress, according to the Israeli daily Haaretz.
Haaretz quoted an unnamed White House official as saying that the Trump administration would use Dermer’s visit to reiterate the need to bring the war in Gaza to an end and to secure the release of the remaining Israeli prisoners.
“Hamas can be dismantled later,” the US official reportedly said. The source also emphasized that while Washington is “optimistic” about the prospect of ending the war and reaching a deal on the prisoners, it is unclear how far the administration is prepared to go in pressuring Israel.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has adopted a highly interventionist stance, claiming credit for progress in the negotiations and openly attacking the Israeli legal system for continuing its corruption trial against Netanyahu.
During a press conference on Friday, Trump said that a ceasefire in Gaza could be reached “within the next week,” adding that he had spoken to those involved in the talks.
On Sunday, he reiterated his stance on Truth Social, posting in all caps: “MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK. DJT.”
However, Israeli officials pushed back on Trump’s assertion. According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, several informed Israeli sources expressed surprise at the president’s comments, stating that Israel had not been made aware of any change or breakthrough that would justify such optimism.
“There are no indications of any flexibility in the positions of Hamas or Netanyahu,” one official said, adding that both parties remain entrenched in their demands.
The same sources told Yedioth Ahronoth that Trump’s statements may be politically motivated, aimed at capitalizing on the momentum following the recent end to the war with Iran to secure an additional foreign policy win. Although they confirmed that indirect talks were taking place behind the scenes, they denied the existence of any real breakthrough.
Tensions between Washington and Tel Aviv were further exacerbated by Trump’s inflammatory social media posts. In a post on Truth Social, the US president criticized the ongoing legal proceedings against Netanyahu, who is currently on trial in three criminal cases dating back to his 2019 indictment on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.
Trump called the charges “insane” and warned that they were impairing Netanyahu’s ability to negotiate with Hamas and Iran. He also threatened to suspend US aid to Israel if the trial continues: “The United States spends billions of dollars a year, far more than on any other Nation, protecting and supporting Israel. We are not going to stand for this”.
Trump’s remarks have drawn criticism inside Israel. Haaretz cited the head of the Israeli Bar Association as warning that if the intervention was coordinated with Netanyahu or made at his request, it could constitute illegal interference in judicial proceedings. Netanyahu, who denies all charges, is also currently wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
In parallel with the political storm, Israeli media reported mounting pressure within Israel’s military leadership to reassess the viability of continued operations in Gaza.
According to Channel 13, the Israeli Southern Command will hold a security meeting on Sunday attended by Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, and a limited group of cabinet ministers. The meeting will focus on the future of Operation ‘Gideon Charriots’, launched in May with the goal of achieving a decisive military victory in Gaza.
Thank you again, @realDonaldTrump.
Together, we will make the Middle East Great Again! https://t.co/hfkct0Sqw7
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) June 29, 2025
Military sources cited by Channel 13 reportedly told the political leadership that the objectives of the operation had been exhausted, and that continuing ground operations would now put the lives of Israeli detainees at unacceptable risk.
Echoing that view, Channel 12 reported that the army is expected to present several scenarios to the cabinet, including the full occupation of the Gaza Strip or a negotiated ceasefire. According to the channel, the Chief of Staff is expected to state that the army is close to completing its operational goals in the territory.
Despite this momentum, hardline Israeli figures remain publicly opposed to any compromise.
In a widely circulated statement, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich preempted the possibility of a negotiated end to the war by declaring that the government would “never agree to divide the country or hand over territory to the enemy.”
He denounced any future Palestinian state as a “terrorist” entity and claimed that Netanyahu and Trump would ultimately “liberate the Middle East” from what he called its “mortgage to the Palestinian cause.”
(PC, AJA)
” Hamas can be dismantled later,” the US official reportedly said…
That shows you that they don’t want an end to the war, and that they still plan to annex West Bank, starve everyone, murder little children…but they’ll never defeat Hamas, or drive the people out. Wasrael is a failed nation of Nazis – let it go.
There’s no way Nazinyahu will just stop. Katz, Gvir, Smotrich, and the rest of the Israeli Nazis will continue killing everyone, and they’ll never just give up and leave. Dondolf Twitler is more delusional than ever: totally unhinged. He’s too far gone, and should be removed from office immediately. His entire administration as well.