JERUSALEM, July 6 (Reuters) - Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he believed his discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday would help advance talks on a Gaza hostage release and ceasefire deal, as Trump predicted an agreement could be reached this week.

U.S.-led ceasefire efforts in Gaza appear to be gaining momentum after nearly 21 months of war, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says Israel on Sunday will send a negotiating team

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Monday US President Donald Trump, who expressed hope for a "deal this week" between Israel and Hamas that sees hostages released from the Gaza Strip.

The first session of indirect Hamas-Israel ceasefire talks in Qatar ended inconclusively, two Palestinian sources familiar with the matter said early on Monday, adding that the Israeli delegation didn't have a sufficient mandate to reach an agreement with Hamas.

Hamas and Israel may be closer to a ceasefire than they’ve been in months, but there’s little sign of it on the ground in Gaza. As Israel says it continues to “target terrorist organizations,” more than 1,

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attended a religious gathering on Saturday, according to Iranian state media outlet Press TV, the first time he has appeared in public in several weeks.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attended a religious event on Saturday, according to a video carried by state television, after reports that he was in a "secure location" since the start of a 12-day air war with Israel in which top Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists were killed.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has made his first public appearance since the 12-day war between Israel and Iran began, attending a mourning ceremony on the eve of Ashoura.