Washington: Former US President Donald Trump held a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which the politicians discussed the Gaza ceasefire deal, the Axios news portal reported on Thursday, citing sources.
Trump wanted to push the Israeli prime minister to conclude a deal, the report said, without providing any further details of the conversation.
On October 7, 2023, Israel was subjected to an unprecedented rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. In addition, Hamas fighters infiltrated the border areas, opened fire on the military and civilians and took hostages. Israeli authorities say that about 1,200 people were killed during the raid.
The Israel Defense Forces launched Operation Iron Swords in the Gaza Strip and announced a complete blockade of the enclave. The enclave’s health ministry says that the death toll from Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip since October 7 has exceeded 39,900.
Last week, Egypt, Qatar and the United States called on Israel and Hamas to resume talks on the terms of a ceasefire on August 14-15. The three countries’ leaders said they were ready to present a final proposal to reach a deal.