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.

Israel's foreign minister on Wednesday voiced confidence about reaching a ceasefire and hostage-release deal in war-torn Gaza, despite no immediate signs of a breakthrough in ongoing talks with Palestinian militant group Hamas.