Day 641 - In DC, official says Israel may temporarily govern Strip

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman and US bureau chief Jacob Magid join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington, DC, but mediators in the ongoing negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal have been notified by the Trump administration that the president expects them to secure an agreement this week. US Special Envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff will travel to Doha today to advance the deal. We hear from Magid and Berman what the atmosphere is like in DC: Are officials still hopeful a deal could occur according to Trump's timeline?

Ahead of a White House dinner, both US President Donald Trump and Netanyahu took American media's questions, including a query about the viability of the two-state solution. We learn what Netanyahu said at the dinner, as well as remarks following the meal from a senior Israeli official who intimated that Israel is ready to temporarily govern the Gaza Strip: “There has to be a system there that manages life,” the official said. “Maybe for a certain amount of time, it is us."

Yesterday, the US announced that it was revoking its “foreign terrorist organization” designation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group once linked to Al-Qaeda that took control of Syria in December 2024. This comes after last week, Trump formally dismantled US sanctions against Syria. We learn what was said during the Trump-Netanyahu dinner and the US's hopes to reintegrate Syria into the global economy.

Part of the reason that Netanyahu is in DC is to celebrate the success of the 12-day Israel-Iran war. In a briefing with a senior Israeli official following the dinner, it was also noted that Israel anticipates the US will permit it to launch new strikes on Iran, in the event that the Islamic Republic attempts to restart its nuclear program.

There was no ceasefire deal announcement, but there was drama of a different sort: Following Trump’s opening remarks to reporters before their White House dinner, Netanyahu expressed his appreciation for the American leader on behalf of Israelis as well as Jews around the world and presented Trump with a letter he sent to the Nobel Prize committee nominating the US president for the peace prize.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

5 IDF soldiers killed, 14 injured by roadside bomb in northern Gaza

Witkoff to join hostage talks in Doha Tuesday as sides told Trump wants deal by week’s end

Katz calls for confining all Gazans in ‘humanitarian city’ built over Rafah’s ruins

US revokes terror label for Syria’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which toppled Assad

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