Netanyahu Leaves Washington Without a Peace Deal But Gets What He Wanted From Trump

Benjamin Netanyahu arrived back in Israel yesterday without a ceasefire deal in the war in Gaza, despite heady predictions from US and Israeli officials that this week could provide a breakthrough.

- Andrew Roth

But he didn't come home empty-handed.

The Israeli prime minister's visit was his third since Donald Trump's inauguration, with several high-profile meetings at the White House, a promise to nominate the US president for the Nobel peace prize and suggestions from Trump and his special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, that peace could be achieved in just a week.

But Witkoff postponed a trip to Doha on Tuesday as it became clear that the negotiations had not reached a point where they could produce a ceasefire agreement.

Netanyahu repeated a refrain that a ceasefire could be announced within days. But a deal to bring peace to more than 2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip remained elusive.