US President Donald Trump has said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will return to the White House for talks in a bid to end the "tragedy" of Israel's Gaza war.
However, Qatari mediators have warned it would take time to seal a deal.
The dramatic push came as Mr Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said he hoped for an agreement on an elusive 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas by the end of the week.
Mr Trump said the second meeting in two days between him and Mr Netanyahu reflected that all sides wanted to reach an agreement.
"It's a tragedy, and he (Netanyahu) wants to get it solved, and I want to get it solved, and I think the other side wants to," Mr Trump told reporters at a cabinet meeting.
Mr Netanyahu also met with congressional leaders during his third trip to Washington since Mr Trump returned to power.
He was due to meet Mr Trump at 4.30pm local time (9.30pm Irish time), the Israeli prime minister's office said.
Mr Trump has strongly backed Mr Netanyahu, especially over the recent Iran-Israel war, but has also been stepping up the pressure to end what he calls the "hell" in Gaza.
But Qatar said more time was needed for negotiations for a breakthrough between Israel and Hamas, as indirect negotiations extended into a third day in Doha.
"I don't think that I can give any timeline at the moment, but I can say right now that we will need time for this," Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said.
'Hopeful'
Qatar, a mediator along with the United States and Egypt, said the meetings in Doha were focused on a framework for the talks, while a Palestinian official close to the negotiations said no breakthrough had been achieved so far.
But Mr Witkoff, who is set to join the talks in Doha this week, was upbeat.
"We are hopeful that by end of this week we will have an agreement that will bring us into a 60-day ceasefire," Mr Witkoff said at Mr Trump's cabinet meeting.
"Ten live hostages will be released. Nine deceased will be released."
Israel and Hamas began the latest round of negotiations on Sunday, with representatives seated in separate rooms within the same building.
An Israeli official accompanying Mr Netanyahu to Washington said the proposal under discussion was "80-90% of what Israel wanted".
However, far-right national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir opposed negotiations with Hamas, claiming that "there is no need to negotiate with those who murder our fighters; they must be torn to shreds".
On the ground, five Israeli soldiers died in combat in northern Gaza.
Gaza's civil defence meanwhile reported that 29 people were killed by Israeli attacks, including three children.
'Difficult morning'
Mr Netanyahu described the death of five soldiers in Gaza as a "difficult morning. "They were reportedly killed by improvised explosive devices near Beit Hanun in northern Gaza.
According to the Israeli military, 450 soldiers have been killed during Israel's war in Gaza.
The war has created dire humanitarian conditions for Gaza's more than two million people.
Mr Netanyahu said as he met Mr Trump yesterday that Israel and the United States were close to a deal with neighbouring countries on taking in Palestinians in Gaza.
However, Arab countries have rejected such plans.
Earlier this year Mr Trump proposed taking over Gaza and displacing its people.
"I think President Trump had a brilliant vision. It's called free choice. If people want to stay (in Gaza), they can stay; but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave," Mr Netanyahu said.
Israel's war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas' October 2023 attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
Of 251 hostages taken by Palestinian militants during attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military claims are dead.
Israel's war has killed at least 57,575 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the territory's health ministry.
