President Donald Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Monday, announcing that discussions would heavily focus on the situation in Gaza, alongside other regional and international matters.
This marks the fifth meeting between the two leaders hosted by the United States since Trump’s return to the White House roughly a year ago. The meeting occurs amidst stalled negotiations regarding the transition to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Following Netanyahu’s arrival, Trump emphasized the necessity of disarming Hamas to facilitate the progression to the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire. He expressed his hope for a swift resolution to the matter.
The President stated that discussions with Netanyahu would encompass Gaza and several other critical issues, outlining five major topics for deliberation. While details remained undisclosed, Trump underscored that Gaza would be at the forefront of their conversations.
“I hope we reach the second phase of the Gaza plan very, very quickly,” Trump stated, suggesting that reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip could commence soon, pending the achievement of necessary understandings.
Regarding the issue of Israeli prisoners, President Trump affirmed Washington’s commitment to exert every effort to recover the remains of the last Israeli prisoner in Gaza.
Trump also revealed a regional dimension to the discussions, stating his intention to speak with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the potential deployment of Turkish forces as part of an international stabilization force in the Gaza Strip.
Turning to the Iranian nuclear program, President Trump remarked, “I heard that Iran is trying to rebuild its nuclear capabilities, and if it does, we will eliminate this.” He added, however, that “Iran has expressed a desire to reach an agreement, which is a wiser course of action than returning to building nuclear capabilities.”
Trump asserted that Tehran “could have reached a diplomatic agreement with the United States before the strikes that occurred this summer.”
