Israeli official to visit White House as Gaza truce calls mount

A senior Israeli official will hold talks at the White House this week as Donald Trump presses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the Gaza war, the US president's spokeswoman said.

Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer's visit comes after Trump said he hoped for a truce in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory within a week, and called on Israel to "make the deal in Gaza."

"I know that Mr Dermer is in Washington this week to meet with senior officials here at the White House," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

The White House is also working on a date for Netanyahu to visit soon, in what would be his third trip to Washington since Trump returned to power in January.

"I do know he has expressed interest in coming to Washington and meeting with the president, and we are working on a date for that," Leavitt added.

The spokeswoman said Trump's "priority" was to "end this brutal war in Gaza," with the end of Israel's 12-day war with Iran providing a window of opportunity for a deal.

"It's heartbreaking to see the images that have come out from both Israel and Gaza throughout this war, and the president wants to see it end," Leavitt added.

The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.

Palestinian militants seized 251 hostages during Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Of these, 49 are still believed to be held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 56,531 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers these figures to be reliable.