"Israel has complied 100%": Trump closes ranks with Netanyahu and pressures Hamas to disarm

BarcelonaSince Donald Trump returned to the White House, meetings with Benjamin Netanyahu have become practically routine. This Monday, the setting for the meeting—the fifth between the two leaders—was the Mar-a-Lago residence, which on Sunday hosted the US president's meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky. Analysts predicted that Netanyahu's delay in advancing the Gaza peace plan would strain relations with the White House, but Trump has closed ranks with his ally and passed the buck to Hamas. "Israel fulfilled the plan 100%," the US president asserted.

The good rapport with Netanyahu has been evident since Trump welcomed him to his mansion, stating that without him "Israel would not exist," and insisting on the need to pardon him. "He's a wartime prime minister, he's a hero. It's obvious he needs a pardon," he said, referring to the pardon the US president requested from his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, to avoid Netanyahu's conviction for corruption. "I spoke with the president... He told me it's on its way," he stated, although minutes later the Israeli president asserted that he hadn't spoken with Trump since requesting the pardon. On the agenda was how to implement the second phase of the Gaza peace plan, which Trump said he expected to arrive "shortly," along with "five other issues." As the Republican made clear upon arrival, one issue was Iran. "I've heard that Iran is trying to rearm. If they do, we must eliminate them," he told reporters. "We will completely defeat them."

The US president's invitation stemmed from a need on his agenda: Trump wants results to demonstrate that the plan he negotiated is holding and progressing toward the establishment of a transitional government in Gaza. Negotiations have been stalled for months, and Israel—which continues to bomb Gaza daily—is throwing a wrench in the works on any path toward the second phase of the plan, which is supposed to culminate in the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Strip, the establishment of an international stabilization force, and the handover of the [unspecified] [unspecified]. But Trump has ignored Israel's non-compliance and bought into Tel Aviv's narrative: "There is peace in the Middle East," declared Trump, adding: "They have fulfilled the plan. [...] Israel has fulfilled the plan 100%." And he threatened Hamas that if it does not disarm, it will pay with "hell": "It would be horrible for them. Horrible. I don't want it to happen, but they came to an agreement that they would disarm, and they can't blame Israel."

So far, Israel has resisted declaring the first phase complete, arguing that Hamas has not yet returned the remains of one of the hostages, which, according to Israeli authorities, belong to Israeli police officer Ran Gvili. As part of the agreement, Hamas pledged to hand over the twenty remaining living hostages in the Gaza Strip and the remains of the twenty-eight who were killed. Currently, Israeli troops occupy 60% of the enclave, but they are supposed to withdraw completely according to the agreement with Hamas.

When Trump was asked if he had pressured Israel to withdraw from the Yellow Line border before Hamas disarms, he said, "They've talked about disarmament, and they'll be given a very short period of time to disarm." "We'll see how this works out... [The withdrawal] is a separate issue," he added.

Regarding the relocation of Palestinians from Gaza to other parts of the world, Trump has simply stated that "more than half would leave" if they could. "I've always said it. If they were given the opportunity to live in a better climate, they would move. They're there because, in a way, they have to be. I think it would be a great opportunity, but we'll see if it presents itself," he stated.

Tensions with Iran on the agenda

Netanyahu was also seeking Washington's permission to launch another attack against Iran's ballistic missile program. According to several experts, this was a point of contention between the two leaders, as Trump did not look favorably upon such an attack. More attacks against Iran would distance the White House from its objective in the Middle East, clearly stated in his administration's strategic document: that Israel sign cooperation agreements with as many neighboring countries as possible (with Saudi Arabia at the forefront), and not the other way around. And that is why he seems to prefer the path of negotiations. But Trump has opened the door to attacking the Islamic Republic again if it is confirmed that Tehran is rebuilding nuclear program infrastructure in locations different from those bombed last summer, as he has hinted. "Iran is behaving badly, but it's not confirmed yet," Trump said.

On the other hand, the Trump administration has been annoyed by the Israeli army's bombings in Syria, which undermine the efforts of the new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, to consolidate control over the country. "I will do everything possible to ensure that Israel and Syria get along," Trump stated alongside his ally. "We want to have a peaceful border with Syria," Netanyahu emphasized.

Before meeting with Trump, Netanyahu met with some of his closest advisors: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He also spoke with the tycoon and former US administration official, Elon Musk, who accepted the Israeli prime minister's invitation to participate in the Intelligent Transportation Conference being held in Israel in March.

Rain devastates Gaza

Meanwhile, in Gaza, a severe rainstorm has battered the enclave, devastating the population, who are surviving thanks to the meager humanitarian aid that arrives despite the Israeli blockade. Most of the aid is delivered in tents, after Israeli bombings have destroyed or partially destroyed more than 8% of the area. The latest victim was Arkan Firas Musleh, a two-month-old baby who died from the cold this Sunday at the Saraya field hospital in Gaza City. According to Zaher al-Waheidi, director of the unit in charge of counting fatalities at the Ministry of Health, this is the third baby to die from hypothermia in the Strip in recent weeks. Seventeen Palestinians also died when bombed buildings collapsed under the heavy rains.

Since the start of the ceasefire, 414 Palestinians have been killed and 1,145 wounded by Israeli fire. And the Israeli army continues to occupy more than 60% of the Gaza Strip, beyond the "yellow line" drawn by Trump.