President Donald Trump is set to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday for their second sit-down at the White House since Trump’s return to office. This meeting comes as Israel intensifies military actions in Gaza, deploying troops in a new security corridor aimed at increasing pressure on Hamas.
The new military operations are part of Israel’s plan to expand its security zones by seizing large areas of Gaza. The recent escalation follows Israel’s surprise bombardment of Gaza last month, which broke the ceasefire and targeted Hamas after efforts to reach a new ceasefire agreement. Hundreds of Palestinian lives have been lost since then.
Israel has vowed to continue its offensive until Hamas releases the remaining hostages captured during the October 7, 2023, attack that led to the war, and until Hamas disarms and leaves Gaza. Israel has also halted the flow of food, fuel, and humanitarian aid into Gaza. Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the meeting with Trump will address various topics, including tariff issues, hostages, Israel-Turkey relations, the Iranian threat, and the ongoing battle with the International Criminal Court. Israel is facing a 17% tariff, and Netanyahu is wanted by the court for alleged crimes in Gaza, although the U.S. is not a member of the court.
Earlier this year, Netanyahu was the first foreign leader invited to the White House during Trump’s second term, with their discussion focused on Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas. During that meeting, Trump made a controversial suggestion to permanently resettle displaced Palestinians outside Gaza, an idea that faced widespread criticism from Palestinians and Arab nations.
Since that time, political pressures on Netanyahu have mounted. Israelis have been protesting the lack of a deal to secure the return of the remaining hostages, and Netanyahu has faced calls to take responsibility for the intelligence failures leading up to the October 7 attack.
Relatives of the hostages have now called on Trump to use his influence to pressure Netanyahu to end the war and bring the hostages back. Ifat Calderon, the aunt of one of the hostages, criticized Netanyahu’s claims that military pressure would return the captives, instead advocating for an immediate ceasefire to secure their release.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s associates have been arrested on suspicion of accepting funds from Qatar to promote a positive image of the country in Israel. Qatar is a key mediator for Hamas, though it denies supporting the militant group. Netanyahu has dismissed the charges as baseless.
The prime minister is also under investigation in a long-running corruption trial, frequently accusing a “deep state” of plotting against him. Trump has announced plans for a foreign trip in May that will include visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and possibly the UAE, with a focus on economic commitments from these Gulf nations to create jobs in the U.S.
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