Benjamin Netanyahu advised Donald Trump that he would nominate him for the Nobel peace prize on Monday, as the 2 leaders met for the primary time because the US launched strikes on Iran’s nuclear program as a part of a short-lived warfare between Israel and Iran.
Trump was expected to press Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire in Israel’s 21-month-old warfare in opposition to Hamas in Gaza amid an outcry over the humanitarian price of an offensive that has led to almost 60,000 deaths, most of them Palestinian.
Israeli and Hamas negotiators met for oblique talks for the primary time in six weeks in Qatar on Monday. Whereas either side have spoken positively concerning the prospects for a ceasefire, various essential negotiating factors stay together with ensures from the Israeli aspect that the warfare wouldn’t proceed and Netanyahu’s insistence that Hamas be banished from Gaza for good.
Earlier than a dinner within the Blue Room at the White House, Trump was requested whether or not he believed that Palestinians needs to be forcibly faraway from Gaza, amid studies that Israel has laid out plans to power all Palestinians in Gaza right into a camp on the ruins of Rafah – a plan that has been criticised as a blueprint for ethnic cleaning. Trump directed Netanyahu to reply the query.
“It’s referred to as free selection,” mentioned Netanyahu, who is needed by the worldwide legal court docket for alleged warfare crimes relating to the Gaza warfare. “You realize, if individuals need to keep, they will keep, but when they need to depart, they need to give you the chance to depart.”
Originally of the meeting, Netanyahu introduced Trump with a letter that he mentioned he had despatched to a committee for the Nobel peace prize commending Trump’s efforts to finish conflicts within the Center East.
“I would like to categorical the appreciation and admiration not solely of all Israelis, however of the Jewish individuals,” Netanyahu mentioned earlier than presenting the letter. “You deserve it,” Netanyahu added.
“Coming from you particularly, that is very significant,” Trump mentioned.
It was the second high-profile nomination for the president: final month Pakistan mentioned it could advocate Trump for the prize.
Requested about Russia’s warfare in Ukraine, Trump urged that he would resume weapons shipments to the Ukrainian military, though the White House had just lately confirmed it had halted some weapons deliveries due to a Pentagon evaluation of dwindling US munitions shares.
“We’re going to ship some extra weapons,” he mentioned. “We now have to. They’ve to give you the chance to defend themselves. They’re getting hit very onerous now. They’re getting hit very onerous. We’re going to have to ship extra weapons.”
Trump claimed throughout the meeting that Hamas “need to meet and so they need to have that ceasefire.” However he didn’t share any extra particulars on preparations for a ceasefire, and when requested a couple of two-state resolution with the Palestinians, directed the query to Netanyahu, who repeated Israeli insistences that they’d preserve a “safety assure” over territories just like the Gaza Strip.
“I feel the Palestinians ought to have all of the powers to govern themselves, however not one of the powers to threaten us,” Netanyahu mentioned. “And that signifies that sure powers like total safety will at all times stay in our arms.”
Earlier than departing for Washington on Sunday, Netanyahu mentioned he was assured a deal may very well be achieved and that Israeli negotiators had been given clear directions to obtain a ceasefire – however solely with situations that Israel has already agreed.
Sources within the prime minister’s entourage described the talks in Qatar as optimistic, in accordance to Israel’s navy radio station and an Israeli official quoted by Reuters. Palestinian officers have been extra downbeat and mentioned preliminary conferences on Sunday had ended inconclusively.
Netanyahu had met with Center East envoy Steve Witkoff and secretary of state Marco Rubio earlier on Monday. He’s expected to stay in Washington to meet with vice-president JD Vance and senior officers, together with home speaker Mike Johnson.
