Trump says Gaza ceasefire deal could be reached this week

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that a Gaza ceasefire deal could be reached with the Palestinian group Hamas this week, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.

"I think there's a good chance we have a deal with Hamas during the week pertaining to quite a few of the hostages...We've gotten a lot of the hostages out, but pertaining to the remaining hostages, quite a few of them will be coming out. We think we'll have that done this week," Trump told reporters in Morristown, New Jersey.

His remarks came ahead of his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday.

Asked about his message to Netanyahu tomorrow, Trump said: "We're working on a lot of things with Israel, and one of the things is probably a permanent deal with Iran."

Netanyahu left Tel Aviv on Sunday for Washington, DC to meet with Trump for talks on regional issues, including a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement.

In his third visit to the US within six months, he is also expected to meet with senior officials of the US administration and senior members of Congress from both parties.

-- BERNAMA