Trump to meet Qatar’s PM to discuss Gaza ceasefire deal

US President Donald Trump will meet with Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani on Wednesday to discuss negotiations over the Gaza ceasefire deal, Axios reporter Barak Ravid posted on X.

Qatar is a key mediator between Israel and Hamas.

The two are also expected to discuss efforts to resume talks between the US and Iran to reach a new nuclear agreement, Ravid said.

UN says 875 Palestinians have been killed near Gaza aid sites

Ravid posted the following in his tweet:

President Trump will meet today (Wednesday) for dinner with Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani to discuss the negotiations regarding the hostage deal and ceasefire in Gaza

Why this matters: Qatar is the main mediator between Israel and Hamas on the hostage deal and ceasefire in Gaza. The meeting follows a phone call Trump held with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Al-Thani on Monday

Another topic expected to arise in the meeting is the efforts to resume negotiations between the U.S. and Iran to achieve a new nuclear deal, according to a source familiar with the details

According to AFP on July 12 two Palestinian sources said that  indirect talks between Hamas and Israel for a ceasefire in Gaza are being held up by Israel’s proposals to keep troops in the territory. Delegations from both sides began discussions in Qatar last Sunday to try to agree on a temporary halt to the 21-month conflict sparked by Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Both Hamas and Israel have said that 10 living hostages who were taken that day and who are still in captivity would be released if an agreement for a 60-day ceasefire were reached.