President Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, after the two leaders discussed that issue and the strikes on Iran the previous day. Netanyahu, who also visited Capitol Hill on Tuesday, faces criticism from some lawmakers, who have accused the Israeli leader of trying to bring the U.S. into another war.
Netanyahu’s meeting with a bipartisan group of senators was delayed until Wednesday, but he met with House Speaker Mike Johnson Tuesday after meeting earlier in the day with Vice President JD Vance. In a statement, Johnson said he and Netanyahu discussed the United States’ commitment to Israel’s security and a ceasefire agreement in Gaza: “America and Israel’s strong stand in the 12-Day War dealt a devastating blow to the greatest enemy of peace in the region, leaving the Iranian regime weaker than at any point in decades. We are hopeful that this marks the dawn of a new chapter of peace in the Middle East.”
Following his meeting with Johnson on Tuesday afternoon, Netanyahu told reporters that the “resolute decision of president Trump to act with us against those who seek to destroy Israel and threaten the peace of the world has made a remarkable change in the Middle East. There are opportunities for peace that we intend to realize, we’re working together on this. We have still to finish the job in Gaza, release all our hostages, eliminate and destroy Hamas’ military and governance capabilities because Gaza must have a different future for ours sake, for everyone’s sake.”
Trump and Netanyahu also reiterated their idea of relocating people from the Gaza Strip, despite widespread condemnation from Palestinians as well as close allies, the United Nations and human rights groups. Trump said at his meeting Monday with Netanyahu at the White House that there was “great cooperation” from Israel’s neighbors to take in Palestinians, while Netanyahu said they were “getting close to finding several countries” willing to do so. (per NBC News.)
Palestinian leaders have condemned the idea, with Mustafa Barghouti, a senior Palestinian politician and head of the Palestinian National Initiative political party, telling NBC News on Tuesday: “When they say it would be voluntary, that is so misleading, because when you bomb people every day, when you starve people for 126 days, who can call that a voluntary decision?”
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