Netanyahu holds second meeting with Trump, pushes Gaza deal ‘over the line’

Shaun

5 months ago

A second meeting between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was held at the White House on Tuesday evening. Later, Netanyahu disclosed that the meeting with Trump was focused on efforts to secure the release of the remaining Gaza hostages and destroy Hamas’s military capabilities.

“I had another meeting today with President Trump at the White House, and afterwards, a short meeting with Vice President [J.D.] Vance.” Netanyahu said, “We focused on efforts to release our hostages.”

“We are determined to achieve all our goals: the release of all our hostages, the destruction of Hamas’s military and governmental capabilities, and thereby ensuring that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel,” the prime minister said of Gaza.

“Opportunities are opening up here to expand the circle of peace, expanding the Abraham Accords. We are working on this with full vigor,” he said.

The prime minister joined Trump along with multiple members of the president’s administration, including the US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, for a dinner at the White House on Monday evening.

During their discussion, Netanyahu told Trump that he had nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize and presented the American president with the nomination letter.

Speaking to reporters at the beginning of their meeting, the prime minister said Israel was working with the United States to find countries that would give Palestinians a better future.

Netanyahu also met with US Vice President JD Vance at Blair House, also known as the President’s Guest House, in Washington on Tuesday.

In his conversation with the US president, Netanyahu reportedly said, “When there is full coordination, Israel can greatly enhance its capabilities.”

Qatari delegation meets Trump officials at White House

A Qatari delegation visited the White House today for meetings with senior administration officials regarding negotiations for a hostage deal, a source familiar with the details told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.

While many issues regarding the deal have been dealt with, more time is needed to resolve the issue of deployment of the IDF during the ceasefire, the source said.

An additional issue was that of humanitarian aid, which, according to a Sky News report, will fall under control of a third party that neither Hamas nor Israel has control over in areas from which Israel’s military will withdraw, meaning the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) will not be permitted to operate outside of IDF military zones.

Hostage deal could be finalized soon

A senior political official told reporters on Monday that efforts are ongoing to reach a hostage deal and that an agreement could be finalized “within a few days.”

According to this official, Netanyahu held a two-hour meeting with Witkoff regarding the hostage deal negotiations and the Gaza Strip, as well as a separate two-hour meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Both sessions were intended to prepare Trump ahead of his meeting with Netanyahu.

“President Trump requested that the prime minister bring his wife and son to the dinner,” the official noted, adding that a second meeting with Trump would be held if necessary.

“There is full and total coordination between Netanyahu and Trump, including on the issue of the hostage deal,” the official added.

While Hamas rejected the latest Qatari proposal, the official said that the differences were “small” and that negotiations remained on track.

The official also said that, from Israel’s perspective, a key component of the deal must involve stripping Hamas of its authority to control the distribution of humanitarian aid.

On the broader question of ending the Israel-Hamas War, the source said Netanyahu’s position is clear: “The end means Gaza without Hamas.”

When asked who might govern the Gaza Strip, the official replied, “Perhaps Israel will control Gaza for a certain period. The prime minister is not afraid of doing that.”

Addressing the recent tensions in the cabinet debates between Israeli ministers and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen Eyal Zamir over Gaza operations and aid distribution, the official said that “the prime minister trusts Zamir’s leadership.”

“That does not mean that he has no criticism, but he hopes ministers will express their views more respectfully,” the source said.

Israel is coordinating with Trump’s administration on Iran

Regarding Iran, the official reiterated that Israel is coordinating fully with Trump’s administration. “Israel wants to preserve the gains in Iran – removing the enriched material and stopping further uranium enrichment.”

“How do you do that? With bombs,” they said.

The source emphasized that the level of coordination with the US is unprecedented. “There has never been this kind of alignment or mutual trust between our two countries. The way we have worked together has taken coordination to a whole new level.”

As for targeting Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the official said that there was no American veto on the potential of doing so and that Israel did not and does not need to ask permission before striking Iran.

Symbolically, the source noted that after the US B-2 bombers struck the Iranian nuclear sites, Trump placed a portrait of president Harry S. Truman – the US leader who authorized the use of the atomic bomb – at the entrance to the White House.

“Trump has committed himself to fighting by Israel’s side, and that has changed global perceptions of him,” the official said.

The official also addressed potential regional shifts following the Israeli strike in Iran, particularly regarding Syria and Lebanon. However, he cautioned, “It’s too early to talk about any agreements.” He made clear that Israel opposes any scenario in which Turkey would be allowed to establish military bases in Syria.

Finally, when asked about Trump’s recent social media post referencing Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial, the official said, “Trump brings the issue up on his own in every conversation,” and added, “That trial has fallen through.”