A total of 50 hostages remain in the Gaza Strip of the 251 people abducted by Hamas during its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed approximately 1,200 people. Israeli authorities say 20 of the hostages are still alive. Hamas-run health authorities report over 57,000 Palestinian deaths since 2023 in the Israel's response.

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

US President Donald Trump’s foreign envoy Steve Witkoff said Tuesday that he’s hopeful of having a Gaza ceasefire deal by the end of the week, as negotiators make substantial progress working through remaining issues.