US President Donald Trump welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington on Tuesday to discuss the ceasefire deal in Gaza. The meeting comes at a crucial time for the Middle East.

Netanyahu is the first foreign leader to visit Trump at the White House since the start of his second term. The president told reporters he is confident they can make progress.

Trump said: "A deal can get done. We'll see what happens. We're dealing with very complicated people, but a deal can absolutely get done."

Asked by a reporter if he supports going forward with the ceasefire deal, Netanyahu said: "I support getting all the hostages out and meeting all our war goals. That includes destroying Hamas's military and governing capabilities, and making sure that Gaza never poses a threat to Israel again."

Netanyahu added that they will discuss the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, which calls for a permanent end to the fighting, Hamas releasing all hostages and Israeli troops completely withdrawing from Gaza.

The first phase of the ceasefire is scheduled to last six weeks. United Nations officials say nearly 550,000 Palestinians are believed to have crossed from southern Gaza to northern Gaza in the week since it took effect.