By Jeff Mason, Andrea Shalal, Matt Spetalnick and Alexander Cornwell WASHINGTON/TEL AVIV (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump, hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday,

Trump has been pushing Netanyahu with increasing urgency for a truce in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, which he hoped to clinch “this week”. When asked about a possible deal, the US president said the negotiations were going well. “I don’t think there’s a hold-up,” he said.

Trump and Netanyahu hailed strikes on Iran's nuclear sites. However, questions on an Israel-Hamas ceasefire and how to achieve peace in the Middle East still linger.