As fighting continues to escalate in the Gaza Strip, U.S. President Donald Trump is turning up the pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to reports from Newsmax and Newsweek, Trump has issued a blunt warning to Netanyahu: if he refuses to enter a truce agreement with Hamas, bilateral agreements with Washington may be reconsidered.
This sharp pivot comes just days after a major military episode between the United States and Iran.
Trump has taken credit for brokering a ceasefire on Tuesday, following American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in response to a symbolic attack by Tehran on a U.S. base in Qatar.
The fragile de-escalation between Washington and Tehran has, according to Trump’s advisers, created a “diplomatic opening” to impose peace in Gaza.
“The president is actively working to convince Israel that the time is now,” a source familiar with the matter told Newsweek.
The stated goal: to secure a 60-day ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, with the hope of laying the groundwork for a long-term resolution.
Trump’s lead Middle East negotiator, Steve Witkoff, is said to have presented a proposal: the release of 10 live hostages and the return of 18 Israeli bodies in exchange for 1,236 Palestinian prisoners and 180 corpses, a partial suspension of Israeli military operations, and the delivery of humanitarian aid overseen by the United Nations and the Red Crescent.
But the U.S. plan extends beyond the initial two-month truce. It also calls for immediate negotiations toward a permanent ceasefire and a broader political dialogue on the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Despite the White House’s ambitions, both sides remain entrenched. Israel claims Hamas rejected the offer, while the Islamist group maintains it responded positively but is demanding concrete guarantees that Israel will not resume airstrikes once the truce ends, Newsmax reported.
Inside Israel, domestic pressure is also mounting. Protests have resumed in Tel Aviv, led in part by families of hostages who accuse the government of inaction. Netanyahu, already politically weakened, is expected to appear in court on Monday in a longstanding corruption case.
True to form, Trump dismissed the legal proceedings, calling the trial a “witch hunt” and demanding its “immediate dismissal.” According to Israeli media cited by Newsmax, Trump’s remarks are seen as both an attempt to politically bolster Netanyahu and to push him toward accepting the American plan.
Meanwhile, the European Union on Thursday called for an immediate ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages, citing the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
According to Newsweek, approximately 50 hostages remain in captivity following the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, which left 1,200 people dead in Israel. In retaliation, the Israeli military has killed more than 56,000 people in Gaza, according to local authorities, without a clear distinction between civilians and combatants.
Gaza’s population is now facing an unprecedented famine. The Israeli government continues to block aid deliveries and has admitted to arming civilians in Gaza to sabotage the few functioning distribution sites.
