US President Donald Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday for crucial talks on a Gaza peace plan that Washington insists is within reach.
Trump has been upbeat in recent days, claiming that negotiations with Arab leaders have paved the way for a breakthrough to end the nearly two-year war in Gaza. He has promised a deal that would free hostages held by Hamas, secure a ceasefire, and lead to the disarmament of the militant group.
On Sunday, the president hinted at progress on his Truth Social platform, writing: “ALL ARE ON BOARD FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL, FIRST TIME EVER. WE WILL GET IT DONE!!!”
Netanyahu, however, has shown little enthusiasm for compromise. Speaking at the United Nations on Friday, he vowed to “finish the job” against Hamas, rejected the prospect of a Palestinian state, and gave no indication he was ready to halt Israel’s offensive in Gaza City, which has already displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
This will be Netanyahu’s fourth visit to the White House since Trump’s return to office in January, as the American president tries to deliver on his pledge to end the conflict “in days.” But frustration has surfaced in recent weeks. Trump warned Israel against annexing the West Bank, a move pushed by hardliners in Netanyahu’s cabinet, and openly criticized an Israeli strike on Hamas members in Qatar, a key US ally.
Families of hostages have also raised pressure, urging Trump to hold firm on the ceasefire proposal. In a letter from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, they appealed directly to him: “The stakes are too high and our families have waited too long for any interference to derail this progress.”
Reports suggest the US-led plan under discussion runs to 21 points and includes the release of all hostages, Hamas disarmament, and a transitional governing body for Gaza. Former British prime minister Tony Blair has even been floated as a possible figure to lead what would be called the Gaza International Transitional Authority, backed by the UN and Gulf nations, before eventual handover to a reformed Palestinian Authority.
Netanyahu, though, has dismissed any role for the Palestinian Authority, which Hamas ousted from Gaza in 2007, and expressed doubts it could ever change enough to be credible.
The war, sparked by Hamas’s deadly October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,219 people in Israel, has since devastated Gaza. According to health officials in the Hamas-run territory, more than 66,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory campaign — figures the United Nations has deemed credible.
Trump and Netanyahu are expected to address the media after their meeting at the White House, with the outcome likely hinging on how far Trump is willing to push his Israeli counterpart toward accepting a deal.
