US President Donald Trump welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Monday for their sixth meeting since Trump returned to office. The summit was clearly a show of close personal and political alignment and was presented by both sides as evidence of a united approach to some of the most contentious issues in the Middle East, especially the stalled Gaza ceasefire plan and the perceived threat from Iran. Beneath the display of camaraderie, however, lay a series of unresolved disputes, looming deadlines and risks of further escalation.
A major focus of the talks was the future of Gaza and the push to move towards the second phase of a US-brokered ceasefire and reconstruction plan. Trump insisted that Israel had fulfilled its obligations under the first phase “one hundred per cent”, placing the onus for further progress elsewhere. The proposed next stage would see Gaza administered by a technocratic and apolitical Palestinian group, backed by an International Stabilisation Force and overseen by a reconstruction framework governed by a Board of Peace chaired by Trump. Supporters of the plan describe it as a way to sideline militant groups while rebuilding basic infrastructure and restoring a measure of order.
Progress towards the second phase has been slow. Disputes persist over who would contribute troops to the stabilisation force and under what mandate, as well as over the question of Hamas’s future. Trump adopted a confrontational tone, issuing what he described as a final warning to Hamas to disarm voluntarily. He said the group had only a “very short period of time” to comply and warned that refusal would bring “hell to pay”. Trump claimed that other countries had privately indicated a willingness to intervene militarily if Hamas did not surrender its weapons, suggesting that the group could be forcibly dismantled if it failed to act. Some US allies and advocacy groups interpreted his remarks as signalling an imminent deadline for complete disarmament.
While leaders traded ultimatums, the humanitarian situation in Gaza continued to deteriorate. Severe winter weather has worsened conditions for hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians living in makeshift shelters. Trump brushed aside such criticism, saying he was unconcerned about Israel’s conduct and expressing full confidence in Netanyahu’s handling of the situation.
Iran was another key topic at Mar-a-Lago. Trump and Netanyahu referred to intelligence reports suggesting that Tehran may be seeking to rebuild elements of its nuclear programme and missile capabilities following a brief but intense conflict earlier this year, during which US and Israeli forces struck Iranian nuclear facilities. Trump warned that any attempt by Iran to reconstitute these capabilities would trigger an immediate military response from the US. He told reporters that Washington would “knock them down” if nuclear activity resumed, adding that while he hoped further conflict could be avoided, the response would be swift and decisive if necessary. His remarks echoed longstanding Israeli concerns that Iran’s missile programme poses an existential threat that must be addressed before it reaches an irreversible stage.
The leaders also touched on broader regional realignments. Trump appeared keen to encourage a thaw between Israel and Syria following the rise of a new Syrian president, Ahmed al-Sharaa. He spoke positively of the new leader and suggested that Netanyahu and al-Sharaa would ultimately find a way to coexist, describing the Syrian president as strong and pragmatic. Netanyahu, however, was guarded, explaining that he cared more about a quiet border and that Israel’s expanded military presence in southern Syria was meant to ensure that.
Lebanon was another potential flashpoint. Asked whether he would support further Israeli strikes against Hezbollah, which continues to refuse disarmament, Trump declined to rule it out. He remarked that Hezbollah had been “behaving badly” and said future action would depend on circumstances, leaving open the possibility of renewed conflict along Israel’s northern border.
One of the few moments of public divergence between Trump and Netanyahu concerned the West Bank. Trump acknowledged that the two leaders did not see eye to eye “one hundred per cent” on the issue, though he did not spell out the nature of their disagreement. His comment followed reports that the US administration opposes formal Israeli annexation of the territory, an idea promoted by some Israeli ministers as a way to permanently foreclose the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
Personal gestures and controversies also coloured the visit. Netanyahu announced that Trump would become the first non-Israeli recipient of the Israel Prize, the country’s highest cultural honour, citing Trump’s record on issues such as moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, recognising Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and withdrawing from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Trump, for his part, renewed calls for Netanyahu to receive a pardon in relation to his ongoing corruption trial. He claimed that Israel’s president had indicated a pardon was forthcoming, though this was swiftly denied by the president’s office, which said no such promise had been made.