AXIOS -- Updated 8 hours ago -
Netanyahu inches toward Gaza deal under pressure from Trump
Trump and Netanyahu in the Oval Office in February. Photo: Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty
The U.S. and Israel are inching toward an agreement on President Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza, which Trump hopes will be announced after his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, White House officials say.
Why it matters: The meeting could come down to a binary choice for Netanyahu: accept Trump's plan or risk a public rift with a president who appears willing to break with him over Gaza for the first time since returning to office.
- Trump told Axios on Sunday that his Gaza plan is in its "final stages" and that Netanyahu is on board. But the Israeli prime minister's public statements have been far more ambiguous.
- Still, Israeli officials tell Axios the gaps between the U.S. and Israel narrowed significantly during a lengthy meeting on Sunday between Netanyahu, White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. They think a White House announcement is likely on Monday.
- U.S. and Israeli officials tell Axios we could see an announcement from Trump and Netanyahu on Monday. Hamas would still need to endorse the deal.
Driving the news: Monday's meeting at the White House will include lunch and press conference.
- A Trump adviser involved in the plans said the view in the White House is that if Netanyahu doesn't take the deal, he'll be to blame for continuing the war, "enabling Hamas and doing nothing for the Palestinians who have so many humanitarian needs. People will continue to starve. Let's hope we get there."
- "The Arabs have agreed to it like 100%. Now we're waiting for the president to work his magic on Netanyahu," the adviser said.
Friction point: Trump has never publicly blamed Netanyahu for prolonging the war with Hamas or failing to deliver a deal to free the remaining hostages.
- But if Netanyahu says no this time, some of Trump's aides think he might turn on the prime minister. Support for Israel and the war in Gaza has sunk to new lows, including at the White House and MAGA world more broadly.
- "Everyone — and I mean everyone — is exasperated with Bibi," said one administration official familiar with the peace talks.
- Some of Trump's advisers have told him the Gaza peace process is a test for his global credibility. Everything Trump wants to accomplish in the Middle East will be undermined until he can convince Netanyahu to end the war, one adviser said.
State of play: Witkoff and Kushner met Netanyahu in New York for several hours on Sunday to try to bridge the remaining differences over Trump's 21-point peace plan.
- Both Witkoff and Kushner have "just about had it" with Netanyahu, the Trump adviser claimed: "Steve was handling Israel more and Jared was with the Arab states. But both are at their wits' end with Israel."
Zoom in: The most recent peace initiative was paradoxically born out of Israel's failed attempt to assassinate Hamas leaders with a highly controversial missile strike in Qatar.
- "When Bibi sent those missiles into Qatar, he united the Gulf state Arabs," Trump's adviser said. "They are all one. They speak with one voice. ... It was a rallying effect. And on this, for the first time, you really had a monolithic Arab world. And Witkoff and [Secretary of State Marco] Rubio said: 'Aha, this is the time.' And that's what's happening."
Zoom out: Frustration, irritation and confusion with Netanyahu has mounted for months in Trump's orbit, both inside and outside the White House.
- Some Trump advisers told the president that Netanyahu was "manhandling" him, one of those advisers told Axios. Others believe Netanyahu has been making massively destabilizing decisions, like the Qatar strike, mainly to help his own political survival.
- "He is obviously very worried about his trial," a senior White House official said, adding that's probably why Netanyahu is being so aggressive. The official characterized it as "invading and bombing every country on the map."
- U.S. and Israeli officials believe Netanyahu will now have to choose between Trump's desire to end the war and the ultranationalist coalition partners who are pressing him to fight on, and with whom he has repeatedly sided up to now.
One factor in the Trump-world frustrations with Netanyahu is his tendency to wade into domestic U.S. politics.
- On Friday at the UN, Netanyahu met with friendly U.S. social media influencers, most of whom are conservative Trump supporters, to ask for their help to "fight" online for Israel.
- "We have to fight with weapons that apply to the battlefield, and the most important ones are on social media," Netanyahu said, singling out X and TikTok.
- In the meeting, Netanyahu also attacked what he called "the woke right — or the woke Reich" and said "they are insane, they are lunatics." He's clashed in particular with Tucker Carlson, who has become increasingly critical of Israel.
- Carlson claimed over the weekend on his show that Netanyahu "is going around telling people: 'I control Donald Trump.'" Netanyahu denied that in an interview with Fox News on Sunday.
What they're saying: In interviews this month with Axios, Trump advisers expressed bewilderment at Netanyahu's "bizarre obsession" with online political discourse in the U.S.
- "We can't figure out what the guy is up to. Focus on Israel. Focus on Gaza. Stop getting involved in U.S. domestic political issues," a White House official said. "Stop talking about Tucker. Stop getting influencers here to be your propaganda. It's not helping you. It's not helping Israel. And it damn sure isn't helping us get a peace deal."
The latest: Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a briefing with reporters: "The president knows and believes that his plan to end the war is the best one the parties will get. Both sides will come out somewhat unhappy. The president believes in his plan and wants the war to end."
Editor's note: This story was updated with additional reporting about the likelihood of a deal.
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