Netanyahu and Trump are set to meet as pressure mounts to end war in Gaza

Days aft his defiant code astatine the United Nations rejecting demands to extremity the warfare successful Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is acceptable to confer with his astir important supporter.

But Monday's gathering with President Donald Trump successful Washington comes astatine a tenuous moment. Israel is progressively isolated, losing enactment from galore countries that were agelong its steadfast allies. At home, Netanyahu's governing conjugation appears much fragile than ever. And the White House is showing signs of impatience.

The question present is whether Trump, who has offered steadfast backing to Netanyahu passim the war, volition alteration his code and crook up the unit connected Israel to yet upwind down the conflict.

President Donald Trump, left, speaks arsenic Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waves upon leaving the West Wing of the White House, April 7, 2025, successful Washington.

AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File

In a station Sunday connected societal media, the president said: "We person a existent accidental for GREATNESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST. ALL ARE ON BOARD FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL, FIRST TIME EVER. WE WILL GET IT DONE!!!"

Trump and Netanyahu are scheduled to conscionable successful the Oval Office, and a associated property league is expected later.

The uncertainty surrounding the gathering casts it arsenic "one of the astir critical" successful the yearslong narration betwixt the 2 leaders, said prof Eytan Gilboa, an adept connected US-Israeli relations astatine Bar-Ilan and Reichman universities.

"Netanyahu mightiness person to take betwixt Trump and his conjugation members," a fig of whom privation the warfare to continue, Gilboa said. A determination by Netanyahu to extremity the warfare would permission him connected shaky governmental crushed astatine location a twelvemonth earlier elections.

Oded Ailam, a researcher astatine the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, agreed that Trump is apt to request a imperishable ceasefire, leaving Netanyahu with fewer options. Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to proceed the violative until Hamas is destroyed.

Israel could question to see 'red lines'

If Trump puts the unit on, the Israeli person would astir apt question to see "red lines" successful immoderate deal, Ailam said. He mightiness request that Hamas beryllium dismantled, Ailam said. Netanyahu mightiness besides acceptable a information that if the militant radical resumes warring oregon returns to power, the Israeli subject would person the close to run freely successful Gaza, helium said.

Trump joined forces with Netanyahu during Israel's little warfare with Iran successful June, ordering U.S. stealth bombers to onslaught 3 atomic sites, and he's supported the Israeli person during his corruption trial, describing the lawsuit arsenic a "witch hunt."

But the narration has go much tense lately. Trump was frustrated by Israel's failed onslaught this period connected Hamas officials successful Qatar, a U.S. state successful the portion that had been hosting negotiations to extremity the warfare successful Gaza.

Recent comments person hinted astatine increasing impatience from Washington. Last week, Trump vowed to forestall Israel from annexing the West Bank - an thought promoted by immoderate of Netanyahu's hard-line governing partners. The planetary assemblage opposes annexation, saying it would destruct hopes for a two-state solution.

Michael Doran, elder chap astatine the Hudson Institute, dismissed the thought that Trump's comments astir the West Bank were a motion of friction. He said the remarks allowed Netanyahu to defy unit from right-wing members of his government.

"That was a clever determination by Trump," Doran said. "It simultaneously showed responsiveness to Arab and Muslim allies portion really helping retired Netanyahu."

On Friday, Trump raised expectations for the gathering with Netanyahu, telling reporters connected the White House tract that the U.S. was "very adjacent to a woody connected Gaza."

Trump has made akin pronouncements successful the past with thing to amusement for it, and it's unclear if this clip volition beryllium different.

Proposal does not see expulsion of Palestinians

Trump's connection to halt the warfare successful Gaza calls for an contiguous ceasefire, the merchandise of each hostages wrong 48 hours and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian enclave, according to 3 Arab officials briefed connected the plan. They spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that the program has not been formally unveiled.

Hamas is believed to beryllium holding 48 hostages, 20 of whom are believed by Israel to inactive beryllium alive. The militant radical has demanded that Israel hold to extremity the warfare altogether and retreat from each of Gaza arsenic portion of immoderate imperishable ceasefire.

Trump discussed the program with Arab and Islamic leaders successful New York connected the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. It doesn't see the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza, which Trump appeared to endorse earlier this year.

The 21-point connection besides calls for an extremity to Hamas regularisation of Gaza arsenic good arsenic the disarmament of the militant group, the officials who were briefed connected the plan, said. Hundreds of Palestinians, including galore serving beingness sentences, volition beryllium released by Israel, according to the proposal.

The program besides includes the constitution of an planetary information unit to instrumentality implicit instrumentality enforcement successful post-war Gaza, they said.

A Palestinian committee of technocrats would oversee the civilian affairs of the strip, with powerfulness handed implicit aboriginal to a reformed Palestinian Authority, they said. Netanyahu has rejected immoderate relation for the authority, the internationally recognized typical of the Palestinians, successful postwar Gaza.

A Hamas authoritative said the radical was briefed connected the program but has yet to person an authoritative connection from Egyptian and Qatari mediators. The radical has repeatedly rejected laying down arms and has linked its weapons to the constitution of an autarkic Palestinian state.

Netanyahu acknowledged the U.S. program Sunday successful an interrogation with Fox News, saying Israeli officials were "working with President Trump's squad ... and I anticipation we tin marque it a go."

In his code Friday astatine the U.N., Netanyahu praised Trump aggregate times, calling him an indispensable spouse who "understands amended than immoderate different person that Israel and America look a communal threat."

Israel has mislaid overmuch of the world's goodwill

But isolated from the U.S. leadership, Israel has mislaid overmuch of the planetary goodwill it erstwhile could number on.

At a peculiar league of the U.N. Security Council past week, federation aft federation expressed fearfulness astatine the 2023 onslaught by Hamas militants that killed astir 1,200 radical successful Israel, saw 251 taken hostage and triggered the war. Then galore of the representatives went connected to knock the effect by Israel and telephone for an contiguous ceasefire successful Gaza and influx of aid.

Israel's sweeping violative has killed much than 66,000 Palestinians successful Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is portion of the Hamas-run administration. Its figures are seen arsenic a reliable estimation by the U.N. and galore autarkic experts. The warring has displaced 90% of the Gaza population, with an expanding fig present starving.

In caller weeks, 28 Western-aligned countries that circled down Israel 2 years agone person called connected it to extremity the violative successful Gaza. They besides criticized Israel's restrictions connected humanitarian aid, which person contributed to famine successful parts of Gaza.

Ten countries - including Britain, France, Canada and Australia - recognized Palestinian statehood past week, hoping to revive the long-moribund bid process. Several Arab states, including immoderate with longstanding relations with Israel, person accused it of committing genocide successful Gaza, arsenic person starring genocide scholars, U.N. experts and immoderate Israeli and planetary rights groups. The U.N's highest tribunal is weighing genocide allegations raised by South Africa that Israel vehemently denies.

Aaron David Miller, who served arsenic an advisor connected Middle East issues to Democratic and Republican administrations, said determination were excessively galore unresolved issues to judge that an extremity to the struggle is near.

"The much crowing that is done astir however we're successful the last stages, the much skeptical I become," helium said.