Gaza ceasefire: Trump says there is a 'good chance' of reaching an agreement 'this week'

Donald Trump said Sunday there was a " good chance " of reaching an agreement with the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas " this week " leading to the release of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip. " We've already gotten a lot of hostages out, but as far as the remaining hostages go, a good number are going to get out. We expect to get that done this week ," he told reporters in New Jersey before boarding his plane back to Washington.

Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages in Gaza began Sunday evening in Doha, on the eve of a meeting between the US president and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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During this meeting at the White House, they will discuss, among other things, the American proposal for a 60-day ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, ravaged by 21 months of war between Israel and Hamas. " We are working on many issues with Israel, and one of them is probably a permanent agreement with Iran ," the American president added, without elaborating.

A ceasefire between Israel and Iran came into effect on June 24 after 12 days of conflict. Israel had launched a war against Iran with the stated aim of preventing the country from acquiring an atomic bomb.

The Iranian government has always denied having such military ambitions. The United States joined its Israeli ally's offensive and bombed three Iranian nuclear sites on the night of June 21-22.