In his most recent remarks, US President Donald Trump sounded optimistic about a potential ceasefire — but not nearly as adamant as he had been about demanding one as he was before Benjamin Netanyahu came to Washington, Al Jazeera’s Patty Culhane reports from Washington DC.

“We’re hearing from Trump’s aides that the negotiations are down to one issue. But Hamas says that’s misinformation.

They say they still need to agree on key points, like if the 10 captives are released, will they have guarantees the ceasefire will continue past 60 days if negotiations are taking place, where the Israeli troops will withdraw from, and who will handle aid distribution? So, from Hamas’s perspective, there’s still a lot on the table,“ Culhane reports.

“We’re also hearing from the Israeli prime minister, who was asked by a reporter about a recent Israeli proposal that has raised fears of Palestinians being forced from their land.

“He replied that it was a matter of freedom of choice, saying that Palestinians should be given the choice to leave Gaza if they want to – without any acknowledgement of the way Israeli restrictions on people in Gaza impact pretty much every aspect of their lives.”

“He instead accused Hamas of holding a gun to their head and making them stay in Gaza,” she said.