Trump and Netanyahu to meet with prospect of Gaza peace deal on table

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Tel Aviv, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump mightiness look to instrumentality a triumph thigh Monday aft their caller associated strikes connected Iran, hailed by some arsenic an unmitigated success. But arsenic they conscionable for the 3rd clip this twelvemonth astatine the White House, the outwardly triumphant sojourn volition beryllium dogged by Israel's 21-month warfare against Hamas successful Gaza and questions implicit however hard Mr. Trump volition propulsion for an extremity to the conflict.

Mr. Trump has made it wide that pursuing the 12-day warfare betwixt Israel and Iran, helium would similar to spot the Gaza struggle extremity soon, ideally with a ceasefire statement reached this week. The gathering betwixt Mr. Trump and Netanyahu could springiness caller urgency to a U.S. ceasefire connection being discussed by Israel and Hamas, but whether it volition pb to a woody that ends the warfare is unclear.

"The optics volition beryllium precise positive," said Michael Oren, a erstwhile Israeli ambassador to Washington. "But down the triumph thigh are going to beryllium immoderate precise superior questions."

Before departing for Washington connected Sunday, Netanyahu praised the practice with the U.S. for bringing a "huge triumph implicit our shared enemy." He struck a affirmative enactment connected a ceasefire for Gaza, saying helium was moving "to execute the woody nether discussion, connected the presumption we agreed to."

"I deliberation that the treatment with President Trump tin surely assistance beforehand that result, which each of america anticipation for," Netanyahu said.

Israel and Hamas look to beryllium inching toward a caller ceasefire statement that would bring astir a 60-day intermission successful the fighting, nonstop assistance flooding into Gaza and escaped astatine slightest immoderate of the remaining 50 hostages held successful the territory, 20 of whom Netanyahu says are inactive alive.

Food distributed to Palestinians successful Gaza nether Israeli aggression

But a perennial sticking constituent is whether the ceasefire volition extremity the warfare altogether. Hamas has said it is consenting to escaped each the hostages successful speech for an extremity to the warfare and a afloat Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Netanyahu has said the warfare volition lone extremity erstwhile Hamas is militarily defeated oregon surrenders, disarms and goes into exile — thing the violent group's remaining leaders person refused to do.

Trump's quest to beryllium known arsenic peacemaker

Mr. Trump has made it wide that helium wants to beryllium known arsenic a peacemaker. He's repeatedly touted caller bid deals that his medication helped to facilitate — betwixt India and Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, and Israel and Iran — and for years helium has made small concealed of the information that helium covets a Nobel Peace Prize.

He has been pressuring Israel and Hamas to wrapper up their ain conflict, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, ravaged Gaza, deepened Israel's planetary isolation and made immoderate solution to the broader struggle betwixt Israel and the Palestinians much distant than ever.

But the precise details of the projected ceasefire deal, and whether it tin pb to an extremity to the war, are inactive successful flux. In the days earlier Netanyahu's visit, Mr. Trump seemed little definite of the chances of an imminent breakthrough.

Asked connected Friday however assured helium was that a ceasefire woody would travel together, helium told reporters: "I'm precise optimistic — but you know, look, it changes from time to day."

On Sunday evening, helium seemed to constrictive his expectations, telling reporters that helium thought an statement related to the remaining hostages would beryllium reached successful the coming week.

Gaza bid hinged connected Trump and Netanyahu's idiosyncratic ties?

After Mr. Trump's determination to get progressive successful Israel's warfare successful Iran with strikes connected Iranian atomic sites, helium and Netanyahu person looked and sounded much successful sync than ever. But that's not ever been the case.

As precocious arsenic Netanyahu's past sojourn to Washington successful April, the code was markedly different.

Mr. Trump utilized the photo-op with Netanyahu to denote that the U.S. was entering into negotiations with Iran implicit its atomic woody — appearing to drawback the Israeli person disconnected defender and astatine the time, slamming the brakes connected immoderate Israeli subject plan.

President Trump Meets With Visiting Israeli PM Netanyahu At The White House

He besides praised Turkish person Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a fierce professional of Israel's, successful beforehand of Netanyahu, and the 2 made nary evident advancement connected a commercialized woody astatine the tallness of Mr. Trump's tariff expansion.

Mr. Trump, whose policies person mostly aligned with Israel's ain priorities, pledged past week to beryllium "very firm" with Netanyahu connected ending the war, without saying what that would entail. Pressure by Mr. Trump whitethorn person helped to person Netanyahu successful the past, with a erstwhile ceasefire woody having been reached close arsenic the president was taking bureau for his 2nd term.

Netanyahu has to equilibrium the demands of his American state with the far-right parties successful his governing conjugation who clasp the cardinal to his governmental endurance and reason ending the war.

But fixed the beardown U.S. enactment successful Israel's warfare against Iran, highlighted by associated airstrikes connected 3 cardinal Iranian atomic sites, Netanyahu whitethorn person a pugnacious clip saying no.

On Sunday evening, Mr. Trump said 1 of the matters helium expected to sermon with Netanyahu "is astir apt a imperishable woody with Iran."

Mr. Trump besides whitethorn expect thing successful instrumentality for his caller calls for Netanyahu's corruption proceedings to beryllium canceled — a important interference successful the home affairs of a sovereign state.

"Trump thinks that Netanyahu owes him," said Eytan Gilboa, an adept connected U.S.-Israel affairs astatine Bar-Ilan University adjacent Tel Aviv. "And if Trump thinks that helium needs to extremity the warfare In Gaza, past that is what helium volition request to do."

Trump's imaginativeness for a remade Middle East hinged connected Gaza

But beyond Iran is Mr. Trump's expansive imaginativeness for a caller Middle East, wherever helium hopes that further countries volition articulation the Abraham Accords, a bid of agreements normalizing relations betwixt Arab countries and Israel brokered during Mr. Trump's archetypal term.

Netanyahu and Mr. Trump are apt to sermon however to bring Syria into the fold. The country, a longtime force of Israel's, has caller enactment aft the autumn of President Bashar Assad, and experts accidental conditions mightiness beryllium ripe for immoderate benignant of nonbelligerency agreement.

Just past week, Mr. Trump signed an enforcement bid lifting a raft of U.S. sanctions against the Syrian government, paving the mode for the nation's caller leaders — erstwhile Islamist militants who publically embraced secularism aft toppling Assad — to further cement their governance and articulation the planetary community.

But Mr. Trump's eventual extremity is to see determination powerhouse Saudi Arabia.

The Saudis, whose clout could unfastened the doorway for different Arab oregon Muslim countries to join, person expressed involvement successful normalizing ties with Israel but lone if it is accompanied by superior steps toward resolving Israel's struggle with the Palestinians. For starters, that would look to necessitate enactment successful Gaza.

"The astir important happening (for Mr. Trump) is to extremity the warfare successful Gaza," Gilboa said. "That is the cardinal to each the determination bid successful the Middle East."