Trump, Netanyahu meet at White House in push for Gaza ceasefire breakthrough

President Donald Trump is welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House for a showdown negotiations on Gaza and Middle East peace. The encounter comes as Trump is promoting a new 21-point peace plan, U.S. allies are acknowledging Palestinian statehood, and domestic political pressures grow over impending government shutdowns, en masse federal resignations, and fresh trade tariffs.


Donald Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, as preparations were made for one of the most important foreign policy discussions of his presidency. At stake is Trump's just-released 21-point Gaza peace plan, which seeks to obtain a ceasefire, release hostages taken by Hamas, and initiate larger Middle East talks.

This is Netanyahu's fourth trip to Washington since Trump's return to power in January, highlighting the need for US-Israeli coordination more than two years into Israel's war in Gaza. Contrary to the chilly welcome Netanyahu received at the United Nations last week, where representatives of several countries walked out of his address, Monday's meeting was a warm welcome from Washington.

The meeting unfolds amid a dramatic diplomatic realignment, as Britain, France, Canada, Australia, and other Western allies recently recognized Palestinian statehood a move Netanyahu called “disgraceful” and Trump condemned as rewarding Hamas. Despite the tensions, Trump maintains that his 21-point Gaza and broader Middle East plan offers the only feasible path to long-term stability. In an interview ahead of the White House talks, he said, “Everybody wants to make the deal,” noting that Netanyahu, long skeptical of concessions, now appeared willing to negotiate. Key elements of the plan include an immediate Gaza ceasefire, release of all hostages within 48 hours, gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, no annexation of the West Bank, and an international trusteeship for Gaza under Arab and Muslim oversight. Trump stressed that the initiative goes beyond Gaza, calling it a blueprint for “peace in the Middle East,” and praised Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, and Egypt for their role in negotiating the terms, adding, “Bibi wants to make the deal too.”


As Trump woos peace outside, his White House experiences storminess at home. Over 100,000 federal workers will quit this week under a contentious manpower reduction program, the biggest mass resignation in American history. Congress is also racing to prevent a government shutdown, with Trump scheduled to hold an unusual bipartisan meeting with senior congressional leaders later Monday.

In the meantime, Trump has set economic waters roiling with the announcement of sweeping tariffs, including a suggested 100% tax on all foreign-filmed films. The never-before-seen cultural trade move shook Hollywood, which relies heavily on foreign box office receipts.

Political storm: from indictments to city hall resignations


The former director of the FBI, James Comey, has been indicted, a move critics denounce as Trump's attempt to "rewrite history.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams suddenly dropped out of his re-election race after a corruption scandal sidetracked his candidacy.
Human rights activists have sounded the alarm over conditions in federal detention facilities holding migrant children, citing shortages of clean water, inadequate medical treatment, and rampant fatigue.All these converging crises underscore the unprecedented stress on Trump as he tries to navigate both foreign diplomacy and domestic political tempests.


As Trump and Netanyahu share their joint press conference, the world waits to see if they can bridge the gaps that have derailed peace talks for decades. For Netanyahu, the task is how to reconcile Trump's offer with resistance from far-right allies who don't want to make concessions. For Trump, success overseas could provide political cover while his administration navigates domestic turmoil.
The stakes are clear: the way ahead in Gaza may reshape not just Israeli-Palestinian relations but America's Middle East role in the world.

It demands a ceasefire, hostage release, withdrawal of Israelis, no West Bank annexation, and international management of Gaza with Arab participation.

It occurs as there is increased international acceptance of Palestinian statehood and increased isolation for Israel.

A pending government shutdown, wholesale federal resignations, tariffs on imports, including films, and political scandals involving former officials and close allies.

Regional Arab leaders are tentatively supporting Trump's wider peace plan while many endorse Palestinian recognition.

It's unclear. Netanyahu's right-wing coalition is an impediment, but Trump maintains that pressure is mounting for a historic agreement.