JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington for a high-stakes White House meeting with President Donald Trump. The two are expected to discuss a possible hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza, the growing threat from Iran and its proxies, and expanding the Abraham Accords.
Netanyahu previewed his goals, noting, “During the conversation with President Trump, I will first thank him for his very strong mobilization in favor of Israel. We have never had such a friend in the White House, and our joint mobilisation has brought a great victory over our common enemy, Iran.”
Over the weekend, Israel sent a team to Doha, where negotiators are working to hammer out a 60-day ceasefire and hostage exchange.
President Trump says he expects a deal with Hamas this week.
But Netanyahu blasted the latest terms from Hamas as unacceptable, and he insists any agreement must guarantee the elimination of Hamas as a military force.
“There are 20 hostages that are alive, 30 dead. I am determined – we are determined – to return them all; and this means one thing: the elimination of Hamas’ military and governmental power. Hamas will not be there in Gaza.”
The Israeli leader is also expected to ask for a green light to strike Iranian nuclear facilities if Israel detects suspicious activity.
Israeli media report he’ll push the White House to support stronger action against Iran and its regional proxies, including the Houthis in Yemen, who resumed attacks on Israel and shipping over the weekend.
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Overnight, Israel launched extensive airstrikes on Houthi-controlled ports, radar sites, and a power station in Yemen.
Among the targets was the Galaxy Leader, a vessel hijacked by the Houthis in 2023, which they have since converted into a surveillance platform.
The strikes came after the Houthis launched another missile at Israel and badly damaged a Greek cargo ship in the Red Sea Sunday, their first successful maritime strike in over a year.
Still, Netanyahu remains hopeful. “There is also a great opportunity to expand the circle of peace, far beyond what we could have imagined before,” he observed.
That “circle” may soon include five clan sheikhs from Hebron, who have formally asked to break away from the Palestinian Authority and join the Abraham Accords, recognizing Israel as a Jewish state.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, two American aid workers remain hospitalized after a terrorist attack on the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
The men, said to be highly decorated veterans, were distributing food at a U.S.-funded humanitarian site near Khan Younis when they were hit by grenades.
“We are working to achieve this deal that is being talked about, on the terms that we agreed to. I have sent a team to the negotiations with clear instructions, and I think that the conversation with President Trump can certainly help to advance this outcome that we all hope for,” Netanyahu said.
The leaders are expected to meet on Tuesday.
Whether they emerge with a ceasefire deal – or a green light for broader military action – could reshape not only Gaza, but the entire Middle East battlefield.
