As Israel and Hamas move closer to a ceasefire agreement, Israel says it wants to maintain troops in a southern corridor of the Gaza Strip — a condition that could derail the talks.

Netanyahu said his meeting with Trump focused on freeing hostages in Gaza, and stressed his determination to "eliminate" the capabilities of Hamas.

The rise of Izz al-Din al-Haddad in the chain of command suggests the group will hold firm to its position demanding a total end to the war before releasing all remaining hostages.