US President Donald Trump has hosted Benjamin Netanyahu for dinner at the White House, pressing the Israeli prime minister to end Israel’s offensive in Gaza, AFP reports.

Since October 7, 2023, Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed 57,523 Palestinians, while nearly all of the Gazans have been displaced. Due to Tel Aviv’s continual atrocities in the conclave, the UN-backed International Criminal Court (ICC) in November last year issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant, together with a former Hamas commander, citing allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The court alleged both men “intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival”, including food, water, medicine, fuel, and electricity.

“I don’t think there is a hold up. I think things are going along very well,” Trump told reporters at the start of the dinner when asked what was preventing a peace deal.

Sitting on the opposite side of a long table from the Israeli leader, Trump also voiced confidence that Hamas was willing to end the hostilities in Gaza.

“They want to meet and they want to have that ceasefire,” Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if clashes involving Israeli soldiers would derail talks.