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. An Israeli official said an outstanding issue in the negotiations was Israel's desire to keep forces in the territory during a 60-day truce,

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump focused on freeing hostages held in Gaza, and stressed his determination to "eliminate" the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas.

Ceasefire seen as possible by Israel FM despite negotiation challenges. Israel is serious about wanting to reach a deal to end the 21 months of bitter fighting, says Gideon Saar