فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday in a pivotal meeting concerning the future of the Gaza Strip, where discussions will focus on achieving a ceasefire as well as addressing the Iranian issue.
This will be the third meeting between the two leaders in Washington within six months, reflecting their close relationship. The meeting comes just two weeks after the United States joined Israel’s military offensive against Iran, conducting airstrikes on three nuclear sites and subsequently securing a halt to the conflict between the two adversaries.
The resolution of this 12-day war has renewed hopes for an end to the fighting in Gaza, where over two million residents face catastrophic humanitarian conditions.
Trump, who declared this week that he would be “very tough” with Netanyahu, is calling for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, expressing fatigue over the seemingly endless war.
“I want above all for the people of Gaza to be safe. They have been through hell,” Trump said Thursday when asked if he still wanted the U.S. to take control of the Palestinian territory, as he had announced in February.
The “Great Bargain” Between Trump and Netanyahu
Following a visit to Washington by Israeli Minister Ron Dermer, a new ceasefire proposal was presented to the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas by Qatari and Egyptian mediators.
Trump has urged Hamas to accept this “final” ceasefire offer after 21 months of devastating war in Gaza, triggered by Hamas’s attack on Israeli soil on October 7, 2023.
Hamas announced Friday evening its readiness to “immediately engage” in negotiations, supported by its ally Islamic Jihad.
According to a Palestinian source, the truce would include the release of half of the surviving hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Independent geopolitical analyst Michael Horowitz described the upcoming meeting as a “strategic session of the kind of big bargaining Trump loves.”
He added, “Even Netanyahu realizes that we have reached the limits of what can be done in Gaza, and that it is time to plan an exit. Netanyahu likely wants a gradual exit.”
The Israeli leader faces pressure within his coalition government and will seek to buy time, while advocating that “a gradual end to the war should proceed alongside efforts to normalize relations with regional partners such as Saudi Arabia,” the expert explained.
“Nothing to Offer” Iran
On the Iranian nuclear file, Trump stated last Monday that he had “nothing to offer” Iran, with whom he “does not speak.”
Bolstered by the strikes carried out on June 21-22, which he claimed “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, Trump warned he would not hesitate to bomb the country again if it sought to acquire nuclear weapons.
A Complex Relationship
The relationship between Netanyahu and Trump has not always been smooth. During their previous meeting in April, Trump surprised Netanyahu by announcing direct negotiations with Iran.
However, Netanyahu was the first foreign leader invited during Trump’s second term, and their alliance against Iran appears to have cemented their renewed ties.
Trump has called Netanyahu “a great hero” and even urged the dropping of corruption charges against him in Israel.
