Trump says ‘there’ll be hell to pay’ if Hamas does not disarm as he meets Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago – live
US president says group will have ‘very short period’ to disarm and that he and Israeli prime minister ‘don’t agree on the West Bank 100%’ as pair meet Trump floats hopes of Gaza peace progress as Netanyahu begins visit Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to tell Donald Trump on Monday that Hamas must return the remains of the last Israeli hostage left in Gaza before the next stages of the stalled ceasefire can be implemented, Israeli officials and analysts say. The trip comes amid a new push by officials in Washington to force concessions from Israel to allow progress towards a second stage of the ceasefire in Gaza, which began in October after two years of devastating war. He feels he has a number of cards to play yet and the remains of Gvili is the easiest one to play now but there are others. Netanyahu knows exactly what he wants for Christmas – more of the same. Israeli troops stay in 51% of Gaza, periodically striking Hamas … without the shadow of withdrawal looming over him. None of this requires a denunciation of the [Trump] plan itself and Trump can very easily justify Israel’s extended stay on Hamas’s unwillingness to disarm. Continue reading...
The Israeli prime minister left Israel on Sunday on his fifth visit to see Trump in the US this year
Further to our earlier post, Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian said Netanyahu would discuss the second phase of Gaza deal, as well as bring up the “danger Iran poses not only to the region of the Middle East, but the United States as well”.
In recent months, Israeli officials and media have voiced concerns that Iran is rebuilding its ballistic missile arsenal after it came under attack during the 12-day war with Israel in June.
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