Trump labels Netanyahu 'so negative' over peace talks

Donald Trump privately told Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop being "so negative" as Israel and Hamas appeared to be on the brink of reaching a permanent peace agreement two years into the bloody siege of Gaza.

- JOHN BOWDEN IN WASHINGTON DC

The US president and his Israeli ally spoke on Friday, according to Axios. During the call, Mr Trump reportedly told the prime minister to accept a response from Hamas as “good news” while urging him to continue the peace process.

On Friday, Hamas political officials based in Qatar announced that the group would accept the framework of the deal provided that “appropriate field conditions” were met, and agreed to release all remaining hostages - living or dead. Reporting suggests that a divide may exist between the group’s political leadership in Qatar and its militant wing in Gaza, the latter of which controls the hostages.

Mr Trump, however, focused on the positives during his call with Mr Netanyahu and urged him to do the same, according to a US official’s account.

“Bibi told Trump this is nothing to celebrate, and that it doesn’t mean anything,” the official with knowledge of the call told Axios, who said the president responded: “I don’t know why you're always so fucking negative. This is a win. Take it.”

Yesterday, CNN’s State of the Union conducted a text-message interview with the president, who gave his typical answer: “Soon,” when asked by Jake Tapper when the country would know if both sides of the conflict were entirely on board with the US’s mandated ceasefire terms.