President Trump greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he arrives at the White House on Sept. 29.
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President Trump is expected to press Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a new plan to end the war in Gaza during a meeting at the White House on Monday.
The high-stakes meeting comes as the two-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel draws closer — and as a growing list of nations recognized Palestinian statehood last week during the United Nations General Assembly.
Trump and Netanyahu are slated to hold a press conference at 1:15 p.m. ET. Listen to NPR’s live special coverage by tapping the audio player above. You can also watch the press conference live here:
Trump has so far backed Israel, insisting that Hamas release all the Israeli hostages held in Gaza since Oct. 7, and charging that recognizing Palestinian statehood “rewards” Hamas.
Trump has also raised expectations for an agreement, even before Israel and Hamas have signed off. “I think we have a deal,” Trump told reporters on Friday.
The multiple-point proposal the U.S. shared with regional partners would end Israel’s war in the territory, boost aid to Gaza and require Hamas to release remaining Israeli hostages within 48 hours. A coalition of international partners would supervise the reconstruction of Gaza, a source familiar with the plans told NPR.
Trump has been one of Netanyahu’s strongest supporters, but he has grown increasingly frustrated with the prime minister as the war has dragged on and the loss of lives has grown. Earlier this month, Trump claimed he was blindsided when Israel launched a strike against Hamas officials in Qatar, a key U.S. ally and mediator in ceasefire talks.
Ivo Daalder, who served as a U.S. ambassador to NATO in the Obama administration, said Monday’s meeting is seen as a real test for Trump to see how willing he is to use U.S. leverage in a way that he hasn’t so far.
“It’s the real indicator whether he wants peace. Not just because he wants a Nobel Peace Prize, but because he wants an end to conflict,” Daalder said. “Because the world is against Israel and the United States. There’s no one else. And he’s the only one who can shift Netanyahu.”