Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump may look to take a victory lap on Monday after their latest joint strikes on Iran, hailed by each as an unmitigated success.
However as they meet on the White Home for the third time this 12 months, the outwardly triumphant go to will probably be dogged by Israel’s 21-month struggle towards Hamas in Gaza and questions over how exhausting Trump will push for an finish to the battle.
Trump has made clear that following final month’s 12-day struggle between Israel and Iran he wish to see the Gaza battle finish quickly. The assembly between Trump and Netanyahu might give new urgency to a U.S. ceasefire proposal being mentioned by Israel and Hamas, however whether or not it results in a deal that ends the struggle is unclear.
FILE – Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is greeted by President Donald Trump on the West Wing of the White Home in Washington, April 7, 2025, in Washington.
AP Photograph/Mark Schiefelbein, File
“The utmost precedence for the president proper now within the Center East is to finish the struggle in Gaza and to return all the hostages,” White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt advised reporters forward of the leaders’ personal dinner.
Earlier than departing for Washington on Sunday, Netanyahu praised the cooperation with the U.S. for bringing a “enormous victory over our shared enemy.” He struck a optimistic be aware on a ceasefire for Gaza, saying he was working “to realize the deal below dialogue, on the phrases we agreed to.”
The prime minister met on Monday with particular envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier than his dinner with Trump. Netanyahu is slated to satisfy Tuesday with Republican Home Speaker Mike Johnson.
“I believe that the dialogue with President Trump can actually assist advance that consequence, which all of us hope for,” Netanyahu stated.
‘It modifications from day after day’
White Home officers are urging Israel and Hamas to shortly seal a brand new ceasefire settlement that might convey a few 60-day pause within the preventing, ship assist flooding into Gaza and free at the very least a number of the remaining 50 hostages held within the territory, 20 of whom are believed to be dwelling.
Leavitt introduced on Monday that Witkoff will journey later this week to Doha, Qatar, for ceasefire and hostage talks.
However a sticking level is whether or not the ceasefire will finish the struggle altogether. Hamas has stated it’s prepared to free all of the hostages in change for an finish to the struggle and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Netanyahu says the struggle will finish as soon as Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile – one thing it refuses to do.
Demonstrators, together with hostage relations, gathered outdoors the U.S. Capitol earlier than the leaders’ assembly to press for the discharge of all remaining hostages in any settlement.
“We can not settle for a deal for a partial launch,” stated Ilan Dalal, father of Man Gilboa-Dalal. “A partial deal would imply that a number of the hostages will keep within the tunnels for extra time and this may be a demise sentence.”
Trump has been pressuring Israel and Hamas to wrap up the battle, which has killed greater than 57,000 Palestinians, ravaged Gaza, deepened Israel’s worldwide isolation and made any decision to the broader battle between Israel and the Palestinians extra distant than ever.
However the exact particulars of the deal, and whether or not it could actually result in an finish to the struggle, are nonetheless in flux. Within the days earlier than Netanyahu’s go to, Trump appeared to downplay the probabilities for a breakthrough.
Requested on Friday how assured he was a ceasefire deal would come collectively, Trump advised reporters: “I am very optimistic – however you already know, look, it modifications from day after day.”
On Sunday night, he appeared to slender his expectation, telling reporters that he thought an settlement associated to the remaining hostages can be reached within the coming week.
Trump and Netanyahu are extra in sync than ever
These temper swings even have embodied Trump’s relationship with Netanyahu.
After Trump’s determination to become involved in Israel’s struggle in Iran with strikes on Iranian nuclear websites, the 2 leaders are extra in sync than ever. However that is not all the time been the case.
As lately as Netanyahu’s final go to to Washington in April, the tone was markedly completely different.
Trump used the photo-op with Netanyahu to announce that the U.S. was getting into into negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program – showing to catch the Israeli chief off guard and, on the time, slamming the brakes on any Israeli navy plan.
Trump, whose insurance policies have largely aligned with Israel’s personal priorities, pledged final week to be “very agency” with Netanyahu on ending the struggle, with out saying what that might entail. Stress by Trump has labored on Netanyahu prior to now, with a ceasefire deal having been reached proper because the president was taking workplace once more.
Netanyahu has to steadiness the calls for of his American ally with the far-right events in his governing coalition, which maintain the important thing to his political survival and oppose ending the struggle.
However given the robust U.S. help in Israel’s struggle towards Iran, highlighted by joint airstrikes on a fortified underground Iranian nuclear website, Netanyahu might have a tricky time saying no.
Trump additionally might count on one thing in return for his latest requires Netanyahu’s corruption trial to be canceled – a major interference within the home affairs of a sovereign state.
“Trump thinks that Netanyahu owes him,” stated Eytan Gilboa, an knowledgeable on U.S.-Israel affairs at Bar-Ilan College close to Tel Aviv. “And if Trump thinks that he wants to finish the struggle In Gaza, then that’s what he might want to do.”
Leaders to debate retaining Iran from making an attempt to revive its nuclear program
The 2 males are anticipated to debate the ceasefire with Iran following final month’s strikes on three key Iranian nuclear websites, Leavitt stated.
Trump on Sunday advised reporters he continues to search for a “everlasting deal” with Tehran to make sure Iran would not attempt to restart its nuclear program.
Trump administration officers preserve that Iran’s nuclear program has been set again by years. They level particularly to intelligence findings that present the strikes destroyed Iran’s lone metallic conversion facility.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian in an interview printed Monday stated the U.S. airstrikes so badly broken his nation’s nuclear services that Iranian authorities nonetheless haven’t been in a position to entry them to survey the destruction.
Pezeshkian added within the interview with conservative American broadcaster Tucker Carlson that Iran can be prepared to renew cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog however can not but decide to permitting its inspectors unfettered entry to observe the websites.
“We stand able to have such supervision,” Pezeshkian stated. “Sadly, on account of the US’ illegal assaults towards our nuclear facilities and installations, most of the items of kit and the services there have been severely broken.”
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Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Related Press writers Ellen Knickmeyer, Matthew Lee, Lisa Mascaro and Aamer Madhani contributed reporting.
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