President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu may take a victory lap on Iran, but the war in Gaza looms over their meeting

Chicago Tribune

4 days ago

WASHINGTON — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump might look to take a victory lap on Monday after their recent joint strikes on Iran, hailed by both as an unmitigated success.
But as they meet at the White House for the third time this year, the outwardly triumphant visit will be dogged by Israel's 21-month war against Hamas in Gaza and questions over how hard Trump will push for an end to the conflict.
Trump has made clear that following last month's 12-day war between Israel and Iran he would like to see the Gaza conflict end soon. The meeting between Trump and Netanyahu could give new urgency to a U.S. ceasefire proposal being discussed by Israel and Hamas, but whether it leads to a deal that ends the war is unclear.
'The utmost priority for the president right now in the Middle East is to end the war in Gaza and to return all of the hostages,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters ahead of the leaders' private dinner.
Before departing for Washington on Sunday, Netanyahu praised the cooperation with the U.S. for bringing a 'huge victory over our shared enemy.' He struck a positive note on a ceasefire for Gaza, saying he was working 'to achieve the deal under discussion, on the terms we agreed to.'
The prime minister was scheduled to hold separate meetings on Monday with special envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio before the dinner with Trump. Netanyahu is slated to meet Tuesday with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson.
'I think that the discussion with President Trump can certainly help advance that result, which all of us hope for,' Netanyahu said.
White House officials are urging Israel and Hamas to quickly seal a new ceasefire agreement that would bring about a 60-day pause in the fighting, send aid flooding into Gaza and free at least some of the remaining 50 hostages held in the territory, 20 of whom are believed to be living.
Leavitt announced on Monday that Witkoff will travel later this week to Doha, Qatar, for ceasefire and hostage talks.
But a sticking point is whether the ceasefire will end the war altogether. Hamas has said it is willing to free all the hostages in exchange for an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Netanyahu says the war will end once Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile — something it refuses to do.
Demonstrators, including hostage family members, gathered outside the U.S. Capitol before the leaders' meeting to press for the release of all remaining hostages in any agreement.
'We cannot accept a deal for a partial release,' said Ilan Dalal, father of Guy Gilboa-Dalal. 'A partial deal would mean that some of the hostages will stay in the tunnels for more time and this would be a death sentence.'
Trump has been pressuring Israel and Hamas to wrap up the conflict, which has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, ravaged Gaza, deepened Israel's international isolation and made any resolution to the broader conflict between Israel and the Palestinians more distant than ever.
But the precise details of the deal, and whether it can lead to an end to the war, are still in flux. In the days before Netanyahu's visit, Trump seemed to downplay the chances for a breakthrough.
Asked on Friday how confident he was a ceasefire deal would come together, Trump told reporters: 'I'm very optimistic — but you know, look, it changes from day to day.'
On Sunday evening, he seemed to narrow his expectation, telling reporters that he thought an agreement related to the remaining hostages would be reached in the coming week.
Those mood swings also have embodied Trump's relationship with Netanyahu.
After Trump's decision to get involved in Israel's war in Iran with strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, the two leaders are more in sync than ever. But that's not always been the case.
As recently as Netanyahu's last visit to Washington in April, the tone was markedly different.
Trump used the photo-op with Netanyahu to announce that the U.S. was entering into negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program — appearing to catch the Israeli leader off guard and, at the time, slamming the brakes on any Israeli military plan.
Trump, whose policies have largely aligned with Israel's own priorities, pledged last week to be 'very firm' with Netanyahu on ending the war, without saying what that would entail. Pressure by Trump has worked on Netanyahu in the past, with a ceasefire deal having been reached right as the president was taking office again.
Netanyahu has to balance the demands of his American ally with the far-right parties in his governing coalition, which hold the key to his political survival and oppose ending the war.
But given the strong U.S. support in Israel's war against Iran, highlighted by joint airstrikes on a fortified underground Iranian nuclear site, Netanyahu may have a tough time saying no.
Trump also may expect something in return for his recent calls for Netanyahu's corruption trial to be canceled — a significant interference in the domestic affairs of a sovereign state.
'Trump thinks that Netanyahu owes him,' said Eytan Gilboa, an expert on U.S.-Israel affairs at Bar-Ilan University near Tel Aviv. 'And if Trump thinks that he needs to end the war In Gaza, then that is what he will need to do.'
The two men are expected to discuss the ceasefire with Iran following last month's strikes on three key Iranian nuclear sites, Leavitt said.
Trump on Sunday told reporters he continues to look for a 'permanent deal' with Tehran to ensure Iran doesn't try to restart its nuclear program.
Trump administration officials maintain that Iran's nuclear program has been set back by years. They point in particular to intelligence findings that show the strikes destroyed Iran's lone metal conversion facility.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian in an interview published Monday said the U.S. airstrikes so badly damaged his country's nuclear facilities that Iranian authorities still have not been able to access them to survey the destruction.
Pezeshkian added in the interview with conservative American broadcaster Tucker Carlson that Iran would be willing to resume cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog but cannot yet commit to allowing its inspectors unfettered access to monitor the sites.
'We stand ready to have such supervision,' Pezeshkian said. 'Unfortunately, as a result of the United States' unlawful attacks against our nuclear centers and installations, many of the pieces of equipment and the facilities there have been severely damaged.'