Trump hosts Netanyahu at White House, day after claiming ‘all are on board’ for ‘greatness’ in Middle East

WASHINGTON, DC: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was received at the White House on Monday, a day after US President Donald Trump claimed that “all are on board” for the “greatness” in the Middle East.

“We have a real chance for GREATNESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST. ALL ARE ON BOARD FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL, FIRST TIME EVER. WE WILL GET IT DONE!!!” Trump had posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Sunday.

Recently, the United States has put forward a 21-point peace plan aimed at resolving the Gaza conflict. The initiative comes as talks between Israel and Hamas remain deadlocked following Israeli airstrikes on Doha earlier this month.

The proposal also follows growing international pressure on both Israel and Washington to end the war, which began on October 7, 2023, after the Hamas attack in which around 1200 Israelis were killed. According to the Gaza health ministry, more than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israel’s bombardment of the enclave.

Meanwhile, protests were held simultaneously in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and New York, calling for an end to the Gaza war and the release of all hostages held by Hamas.

In New York, the protest was led by American and Israeli Jews without organisational affiliations, and all were invited to join, the organisers said

As per The Times of Israel, these demonstrations come as the addition of a press conference to Netanyahu’s White House meeting with President Trump raises speculation that the Trump administration is planning to announce that it has finalised its agreement for ending the conflict in Gaza and releasing the remaining Israeli hostages.

The US has secured initial backing for the plan from Arab and Muslim partners needed for the postwar management of Gaza.

However, Israel was still deliberating the plan on Sunday, while Hamas said it hadn’t even been presented with it yet, as per The Times of Israel.

One of the plan’s 21 points states that much of the agreement can move forward even if Hamas doesn’t agree, including the establishment of a new transitional government of Palestinian technocrats and an international stabilization force in areas cleared of Hamas’s presence — which includes the vast majority of the Strip, as per The Times of Israel.

But without Hamas releasing the remaining 48 hostages, it’s unlikely that Israel will agree to halt its offensive in Gaza City and beyond.
Netanyahu reportedly met with West Bank settlement leaders on Sunday night ahead of his Monday meeting with US President Donald Trump, and said that he will raise the issue of Israel applying sovereignty to the West Bank, The Times of Israel reported.

Netanyahu also acknowledged that he was faced with a “complicated reality,” signaling that Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank is unlikely. Netanyahu’s allies to the right, including settlement leaders, have been pushing for Israel to apply its sovereignty to parts of the West Bank, particularly as a reaction to the wave of Western countries recognising a Palestinian state.

But Trump has ruled out Israeli West Bank annexation, and the UAE, which normalised relations with Israel five years ago, said the move would be a “red line,” as per The Times of Israel.

Just days earlier, Trump had expressed confidence that a breakthrough was imminent. Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House on Friday (local time), he said, “It’s looking like we have a deal on Gaza. I think it’s a deal that will get the hostages back. It’s gonna be a deal that will end the war.”

His remarks followed the unveiling of a 21-point initiative to end the conflict during meetings with Arab leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. (ANI)