Trump's envoy to meet Netanyahu aide to discuss post-war Gaza ideas

• A Trump-backed post-war plan laying out who will govern Gaza without Hamas — and what security guarantees will prevent its return — is seen as essential to any deal that ends the war.
• If a temporary ceasefire is reached, the United States' "day after" plan could become the foundation for indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas over a permanent resolution.

Driving the news: Trump told Axios' Marc Caputo during a trip to Florida Tuesday that he plans to speak to Netanyahu and be "very firm" about ending the war in Gaza and bringing the hostages home.

• The president insisted Netanyahu wants to end the war too, and predicted that they will reach a deal next week.

Netanyahu confidant Ron Dermer, Israel's Minister for Strategic Affairs, arrived in Washington on Monday and is expected to meet Tuesday with Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President J.D. Vance, a source familiar with his schedule told Axios.

• Israeli officials say Dermer's visit is meant to lay the groundwork for Netanyahu's White House meeting with Trump, which is scheduled for next Monday.

State of play: Witkoff is expected to brief Dermer on efforts to secure a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas that would include the release of 10 living hostages and the return of 15 bodies, according to sources familiar with the talks.

• Witkoff has been communicating in recent days with Qatari and Egyptian officials who are mediating between Israel and Hamas, in an effort to draft an updated proposal for a deal, sources said.
• A source with direct knowledge said Witkoff has made clear to the mediators that Trump intends to press for a deal in the coming days.

The latest: A senior Israeli official said Qatar sent an updated proposal to Israel and Hamas on Tuesday, though it includes wording changes in several clauses rather than changes in substance.

• The Israeli official said there's a good chance the new proposal will pave the way for proximity talks between Israel and Hamas in order to finalize the details of the deal.
• He added that Hamas has not yet responded to the new proposal, and that negotiations will be "lengthy, difficult, and ugly" even if the parties do move to proximity talks.

Zoom in: The draft agreement envisions Israel and Hamas using the 60-day ceasefire to negotiate both a permanent end to the war and a road map for governing post-war Gaza.

• For Israel, any long-term ceasefire must include the removal of Hamas from power, the dismantling of its military wing and the exile of its senior commanders.
• "There aren't too many senior Hamas commanders who are still alive in Gaza," an Israeli official said. "We won't need a big ship to send them to exile. A small boat will do."

Israel wants Gaza to be administered by local Palestinian officials unaffiliated with either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority — with Arab states like Egypt, Jordan, the UAE and Saudi Arabia playing active roles.

• An Israeli official told Axios the Trump administration's "day after" ideas for Gaza have so far been "very general and in broad strokes."

Friction point: Israeli officials say Netanyahu is eager to move forward with a deal on a 60-day ceasefire, but warn there has been no indication so far that Hamas is willing to meaningfully engage.

• Hamas, on the other hand, says Israel and the U.S. don't really want the deal and have refused to commit to any agreement that the 60-day truce will lead to the end of the war.
• That demand for a clear U.S. guarantee on permanently ending the war remains the key sticking point between both sides.
• A senior Israeli official told Axios that Israel is willing to adjust some of the deal's language to make it more acceptable to Hamas — but won't agree in advance to end the war.

"We have no problem changing parts of the agreement's wording," the official said.

• "Hamas wants certainty that the war will end — they won't get that. But we're willing to be flexible up to the point of giving this certainty."

What to watch: On Monday, Israel called on Palestinian civilians in additional areas of Gaza City to evacuate to the southern part of the enclave, in preparation for a possible expansion of the IDF's ground offensive.

• Israeli officials warn that if negotiations on a ceasefire and hostage deal don't advance soon, the military will escalate its operations.
• "We'll do to Gaza City and the central camps what we did to Rafah. Everything will turn to dust," a senior Israeli official told Axios. "It's not our preferred option, but if there's no movement toward a hostage deal, we won't have any other choice."