Netanyahu said his meeting with Trump focused on freeing hostages in Gaza, and stressed his determination to "eliminate" the capabilities of Hamas.

The war started after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage. Most of the hostages have been released in earlier ceasefires. Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he discussed efforts to release hostages held in Gaza and the ongoing military campaign to defeat Hamas during talks at the White House with US President Donald Trump.