Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly preparing for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Miami, Florida. The meeting, potentially lasting a week, is scheduled between December 28th and January 4th and marks Netanyahu’s fifth visit to the United States since January.
Ahead of the anticipated meeting, Netanyahu has reportedly set a firm condition for moving to the second phase of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas in Gaza. According to Israeli media reports, Israel insists on the return of the last remaining body held in the Gaza Strip before commencing further negotiations.
Channel 13 in Israel reports that a ministerial cabinet is currently convened to discuss preparations for the Trump-Netanyahu summit. Channel 15 further indicates that Netanyahu intends to discuss four key issues with President Trump: the situations in Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, and Iran.
Reports suggest that Stephen Witkoff, President Trump’s envoy, informed Israeli officials of the need to transition to the agreement’s second phase early next month. However, Israel’s insistence on the return of Ran Gvili’s body, the last remaining person held by Hamas, is proving to be a significant hurdle.
Hamas claims that retrieving the body may take time due to the widespread destruction in Gaza. Since the start of the first phase of the ceasefire on October 10th, Palestinian factions have reportedly handed over 20 living Israeli captives and the remains of 27 others. The search for Gvili’s body continues.
Israel and Hamas reached a two-stage ceasefire agreement on October 9th, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, and under the auspices of a 20-point plan proposed by President Trump to end the conflict. The initial phase commenced the following day. However, reports suggest Israel has violated the agreement’s terms, particularly those related to humanitarian aid, leading to the deaths of over 400 Palestinians, according to the Ministry of Health.
