Last updated on August 29th, 2024 at 08:28 pm
According to Axios, sources said that during the call, between Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, they spoke about the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The call, sources said, focused largely on a potential cease-fire and agreement for a hostage release. It wasn’t clear how much was under discussion during that call, but in a comment to Axios, one source said Trump pressed Netanyahu to go for the deal. The Trump campaign has not yet commented.
- Netanyahu’s Visit to the U.S. and Engagements in Diplomacy
- During his visit to the United States, Netanyahu had one-on-one meetings with President Joe Biden, Vice-President Kamala Harris, and former President Trump. This trip is made at a time when tensions are pitched high between Israel and Gaza over ceasefire negotiations.
- New Round of Ceasefire Negotiations
- A new round of talks on the Gaza ceasefire, which will be attended by Egypt, the United States, and Qatar, is scheduled for Thursday. But despite this marathon of diplomacy, Hamas has said it will not take part in that conference but could meet with the mediators afterward.
- Rising Tensions and Regional Threats
- This is an escalation of violence that raises the risk of wider conflict in the Middle East. Recent targeted killings of key figures, such as Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, currently in Iran, and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut, are raising retaliatory threats against Israel further.
- Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
- The war, which flared up anew on October 7 after a Hamas attack on Israel, has brought about unprecedented casualties and a dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. According to the latest figures from the local health ministry, close to 40,000 Palestinian deaths have occurred along with mass displacement, amid allegations of genocide vehemently denied by Israel.
