WASHINGTON (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended a memorial service Thursday for two slain Israeli Embassy staffers at the end of his trip to Washington, where he met with President Donald Trump about a ceasefire deal in Gaza and other issues.
Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26, two colleagues who had been on the verge of getting engaged, were fatally shot May 22.
Sara Netanyahu, the Israeli leader’s wife and a psychologist, signed a letter of condolence at the embassy, saying, “May their memory be blessed.” Family members of the two were among those attending the service, held at the Israeli embassy, the prime minister’s office said in a statement.
A suspect was arrested in the shootings and shouted “Free Palestine” as he was led away. Charging documents said he later told police, “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza.”
Netanyahu plans to depart the U.S. on Thursday after meeting with Trump, lawmakers and others over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza and other Middle East conflicts and issues. It was unclear if there was any breakthrough on a ceasefire deal after two meetings this week between Trump and Netanyahu, where they cheered their strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last month.
Netanyahu said in a video released Thursday that he is trying to wrap up the U.S.-backed 60-day deal but stresses it will be “temporary.”
He says that during the truce, the sides would begin talks on ending the war altogether. But for there to be a permanent ceasefire, Hamas must agree to give up power and lay down its weapons — a demand it so far has rejected.
“These are our basic conditions,” Netanyahu said. “If this can be achieved through negotiations — so much the better. If it is not achieved through negotiations in 60 days, we will achieve it in other ways — by using force, the force of our heroic army.”
U.S. officials held out hope that restarting high-level negotiations — mediated by Egypt and Qatar and including White House envoy Steve Witkoff — would happen soon and could bring progress.
“We’re closer than we’ve been in quite a while, and we’re hopeful, but we also recognize there’s still some challenges in the way,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters while attending the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Senior Trump administration officials, including Witkoff, met with Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer as well as Qatari officials at the White House on Tuesday to discuss sticking points in the talks. This included Israel’s desire for its military to retain control over parts of Gaza during a potential 60-day truce, according to a White House official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Asked about the meeting this week, Trump did not confirm that “secret” talks had happened, but said if they did, he hoped the engagement “gets us to where we want to be.”
“We want to have peace. We want to get the hostages back. And I think we’re close to doing it,” Trump added.
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Federman reported from Jerusalem.
