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Trump Leverages Iran Strikes in Netanyahu Talks
President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday evening. Fox News reported that experts expected Trump to leverage military support to push Netanyahu toward ending the war in Gaza and securing the release of 50 hostages held by Hamas, which includes two Americans. While Netanyahu sought to solidify U.S. backing, Trump aims to translate military collaboration into domestic political gains.
AFP reported:
The President will host dinner behind closed doors with Netanyahu, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Trump has, in recent weeks, expressed increasing concerns over the Gaza situation.
It was Trump’s “utmost priority…to end the war in Gaza and to return all of the hostages," Leavitt said at the briefing on Monday.
Fox News added that Trump’s envoy has struggled to broker a ceasefire deal acceptable to both Israel and Hamas, but further talks in Egypt are expected. Trump also hopes to revive the Abraham Accords by encouraging Arab nations—especially Saudi Arabia—to normalize ties with Israel, though such progress hinges on halting the Gaza war. Experts noted Trump is unlikely to reduce military aid to Israel but will use the support as leverage to push for a ceasefire and broader diplomatic goals across the Middle East.
On the dinner, The Guardian reported:
Benjamin Netanyahu told Donald Trump that he would nominate him for the Nobel peace prize on Monday, as the two leaders met for the first time since the US launched strikes on Iran’s nuclear program as part of a short-lived war between Israel and Iran.
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